Foster Carer Interviews: Meet Janice

 

In this blog series, foster carers share their experiences, advice, challenges and joys, offering an honest insight into what foster caring involves, what to expect, and what they wish they’d known before starting.

Janice and her family have been welcoming children into their home for the past ten years, on both long-term and short-term respite care arrangements. She has plenty of wisdom to share and hopes this article encourages anyone considering foster care to take the next step.

Over to Janice…

 

How long have you been a Foster Carer?

I am celebrating ten beautiful years of welcoming little people into my life and home. What began as a chance encounter on a normal day transformed into a lifetime of love, purpose, and family.

What led you to explore becoming a Foster Carer?

My foster care journey actually started as a stressful teenage phase for my parents! Back then, I insisted I would just adopt a whole team of kids. Wisdom eventually changed my path–I married and had my own children–but that initial seed never died, even as we relocated across the world. In 2014, everything clicked when I passed a BaptistCare billboard outside the Caroline Springs Library. It felt like the sign I had been waiting for.

I reached out to explore foster caring and BaptistCare helped transform my lifelong dream into a real-world reality. Ten years later, welcoming little people into our home remains one of the most rewarding things I do. Foster caring truly takes a village, and I couldn’t have done it without the continuous support of BaptistCare, and most importantly, the love and backing of my family.

How did you find the training and onboarding process?

From our very first contact, BaptistCare was prompt, supportive and focused on finding a match that worked for our entire family. I was incredibly eager to begin but I also felt a strong need to protect my own children and our existing family dynamics. The onboarding process beautifully balanced professionalism with genuine comfort, allowing me to speak openly about my concerns. Because recruiters took the time to talk with my whole family during training, I knew this wasn’t something being taken lightly. The process was smooth, thorough, and never rushed. Training can certainly feel overwhelming when you face confronting background stories, but the open environment encourages you to ask questions and approach the journey with an open mind and heart.

How many children have you had in your care?

When we began the process, we expressed a preference to care for the younger age group of babies to six years, as this best matched our own family dynamics. BaptistCare truly listens to your needs, working closely with you to find a match that best suits your household and personal circumstances. Over the past decade, this careful matching process has allowed us to open our hearts to eight wonderful little people – welcoming two children into long-term care and providing a safe haven for six further children through respite care. We quickly learned that length of care depends entirely on each child’s unique situation; a placement can range from a single day to several years. It is a flexible, deeply rewarding journey, and BaptistCare ensures your family is supported every step of the way.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions you had about Foster Caring before actually doing it?

One of the biggest misconceptions in foster care is that the biological parents simply aren’t doing their best. With time and experience, you learn a deeper, more complex truth: they are trying but various difficulties have meant that their home is no longer the best place for their child.

Over the years, I learned to empathise with their struggles and maintain those relationships in a respectful, compassionate manner. Alongside this empathy, I also discovered the vital importance of advocating for myself. Balancing the needs of the child, the biological family, and your own household requires a strong voice, clear boundaries and the confidence to speak up for what your family needs to sustain this journey.

What have been some of the biggest challenges?

Beyond the daily routine, there is a significant amount of administration involved in fostering. From attending care team meetings and annual reviews to tracking daily happenings and lodging incident reports, staying organised is essential. This paperwork ensures that while you are protecting the child, you are also protecting yourself and your family. This protection is vital because the timelines of foster care are incredibly fluid. Case workers often cannot provide an exact timeframe due to the unpredictable nature of each family situation; an initial one-week placement can easily stretch into a month or even a year. When a child does move out of your care, there is rarely ongoing continuity to know where they are or how they are progressing. Because of this, the ability to love deeply, help them thrive, and then let go is of paramount importance. While saying goodbye can bring a real period of grief, focusing on the bigger picture helps you heal. You are there to provide a safe haven exactly when the child is in need, and you must learn to provide for yourself and your own emotional well-being when they are ready to move on.

What have been the greatest joys of foster caring?

Ultimately, this journey leaves you with a stronger, more resilient family. Your children learn to nurture and care for others who are, at times, completely different from them, fostering a profound sense of empathy.
If you are considering long-term care, it becomes a beautiful, wholesome journey filled with shared laughs, proud milestones, and moving tears. Being able to provide vulnerable children with a safe space where they can laugh and grow is incredibly fulfilling. What makes it even more special is that this joy quickly extends beyond the walls of your home; it naturally ripples out to your friends and extended family. It blossoms into a massive circle of care, acceptance, and positive growth for everyone involved.

What’s something you wish you’d known before becoming a carer?

Looking back over the last ten years, there are several things I wish I had known before becoming a foster carer. Firstly, fostering is not a solo job but rather a deeply complex ecosystem that extends far into an organisational space. You quickly find yourself collaborating with a vast team of case workers, child protection staff and transport coordinators, all while navigating vital bridges like sibling visits, kinship contacts, parental access and past carers. When stepping into the world of foster care, many carers discover that the realities of the system reshape their lives in unexpected ways.

Beyond the daily joys, it means entering a complex space where a child’s past trauma can manifest in intense behaviours that require specialised, trauma-informed parenting rather than traditional techniques. It also requires navigating a system where high case worker turnover is common and where major life decisions for the child are ultimately held by the courts, leaving you with little control over their long-term future.

Do you have any advice for someone who may be considering foster care themselves?

If you are standing where I was a decade ago, looking for your own “sign,” my biggest piece of advice is to prepare your family village first. Fostering is not a solo mission. Sit down with your partner and children to have open, honest conversations about how your home dynamics might shift. Ensure everyone feels heard and included before you dive into the training process. However, once you are accredited, remember a vital truth: you should never feel pushed into accepting a child when a call is made. It is your absolute right to ask for all the information you need to assess how a child will fit within your home and existing family dynamics. It is completely okay to say “no.” Knowing your limits is a sign of strength, not failure.

Secondly, embrace the art of flexibility. You must be comfortable with moving timelines, shifting case plans, and the emotional reality of loving a child fiercely while being prepared to let them go. Anchor yourself in the bigger picture: your role is to provide a safe landing when they need it most. Lastly, lean completely into the support systems available. BaptistCare is there to guide you but you must also practice self-care and learn to advocate for yourself. Trust the matching process, keep an open heart and know that the boundaries you set are what make your care sustainable for the long haul.

Any parting words of wisdom?

You are never meant to walk this path by yourself. If you ever feel overwhelmed, reach out immediately to your agency or tap into resources like Carer Kafe – an organisation dedicated to building the community connections you need for your own well-being. Be the voice the child needs and remember to speak up and advocate for yourself whenever necessary.

My final word to you is to approach this journey with confidence, knowing you hold the keys to your own boundaries. You don’t have to be a perfect superhero to be a foster carer; you just need to be willing to provide a safe, stable space when a child needs it most. The challenges are real, but the support systems are there to carry you through. If you are waiting for the perfect moment or a clearer sign, let this be it. Trust the process, trust yourself, and give it a go.

Interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer? Find everything you need to know here.

Otherwise, give us a call. Our team is happy to answer any questions you may have.

VIC: 0409 591 895
TAS: 0417 196 605