Fostering Hope helping children in foster care
Donation protected
My phones rings and the number of my social worker pops up... my heart beats a little faster. I hesitate but answer the call out of instinct.
‘Hi Rebecca, how are you?’ She asks politely. It’s a loaded question. We both know I can’t get away with saying a perfunctory ‘good thanks’.
‘I’m okay’ I say. An acknowledgment that the last 2 months have been tough. We said goodbye to a child we’d cared for nearly 2 years. He’d arrived as a tiny baby straight from hospital and we’d loved and cared for him until he went to family. It’s so bittersweet this foster life, sending kids home to be with their family is the goal but you send them home with a little piece of you.
The small talk continued before my social worker took and deep breath in and said ‘I need to ask you a favour’.
My heart sunk.
‘We have a baby girl that we’re struggling to place. She’s due to be released from the hospital today. No one else has capacity to take her. The baby is healthy but she is withdrawing from drug exposure and will need some extra love’.
I sat down to consider what I’d been asked, wondering if I could put my family through caring again. My next thought was practical. I gave away all my baby stuff vowing never to care for a baby again.
My social worker added, ‘we really need to organise something as soon possible’.
‘Let me make some phone calls’ I said. Knowing that within a few calls I could rally the foster community to cobble together everything the baby needed. Fostering Hope could provide a cot, pram, car seat and then some.
Fostering Hope is a volunteer run charity that collects used baby and children’s goods to pass onto carers. We have outgrown our current premises and need a larger space ASAP. Each month we assist many foster families with everything from clothes, toys, nappies and furniture as well as running toy drives for Christmas. Please help us make a difference to the states most vulnerable children.
Donations can be made to help fund the new premises to bank account
Fostering Hope
BSB 016246
Account number 311954928
Donations of good quality baby and children’s goods can also be made by contacting our Facebook page Fostering Hope Australia Inc
‘Hi Rebecca, how are you?’ She asks politely. It’s a loaded question. We both know I can’t get away with saying a perfunctory ‘good thanks’.
‘I’m okay’ I say. An acknowledgment that the last 2 months have been tough. We said goodbye to a child we’d cared for nearly 2 years. He’d arrived as a tiny baby straight from hospital and we’d loved and cared for him until he went to family. It’s so bittersweet this foster life, sending kids home to be with their family is the goal but you send them home with a little piece of you.
The small talk continued before my social worker took and deep breath in and said ‘I need to ask you a favour’.
My heart sunk.
‘We have a baby girl that we’re struggling to place. She’s due to be released from the hospital today. No one else has capacity to take her. The baby is healthy but she is withdrawing from drug exposure and will need some extra love’.
I sat down to consider what I’d been asked, wondering if I could put my family through caring again. My next thought was practical. I gave away all my baby stuff vowing never to care for a baby again.
My social worker added, ‘we really need to organise something as soon possible’.
‘Let me make some phone calls’ I said. Knowing that within a few calls I could rally the foster community to cobble together everything the baby needed. Fostering Hope could provide a cot, pram, car seat and then some.
Fostering Hope is a volunteer run charity that collects used baby and children’s goods to pass onto carers. We have outgrown our current premises and need a larger space ASAP. Each month we assist many foster families with everything from clothes, toys, nappies and furniture as well as running toy drives for Christmas. Please help us make a difference to the states most vulnerable children.
Donations can be made to help fund the new premises to bank account
Fostering Hope
BSB 016246
Account number 311954928
Donations of good quality baby and children’s goods can also be made by contacting our Facebook page Fostering Hope Australia Inc
Organizer
Linzi Hunt
Organizer
Pearsall WA
