Life’s much busier for carers Nigel and Tammy now they’ve got four children at home – but it’s also much more fun.

The northern suburbs couple, had five children between them. The youngest is now 19 years old.

But after taking on the care of Nigel’s great niece, *Leila, 3, and two years later, three siblings who are unrelated to them, they’ve gone back to school runs, family holidays and cartoons on the telly.

“At first it was a bit hard but now it’s our life,” Nigel says.

“We had no kids, then when *Leila came, it was a big change. When the three came, the transition with them was a lot easier. Now we wouldn’t change it for the world.  “They’re such beautiful kids.”

The Department for Child Protection is sharing the couple’s story in the lead up to Foster and Kinship Carer Week (13-19 September), which celebrates the incredible impact family-based carers have in children’s lives.

Tammy and Nigel, a Ngarrindjeri man, are part of the Department for Child Protection’s Care Beyond Kin program, which involves kinship carers also opening their homes to children who aren’t related to them.

They had just built a house before the Department broached the idea of Leila coming to live with them – but after she arrived, they realised it wasn’t suitable because there wasn’t enough yard space.

“So we bought a bigger house, and now that’s full,” Nigel says.

Since Care Beyond Kin was set up in a bid to increase the number of family-based placements available to support children in need, and prevent them from going into residential care.

Under the program, carers open their homes to children on an emergency, short-term or respite basis, while child protection workers look for longer-term placements.

At the same time as keeping children safe, Care Beyond Kin is helping carers form a network of much-needed respite support for each other, reducing their risk of burnout and increasing children’s network of trusted adults.

Nigel and Tammy initially planned to offer respite for the siblings, but three months later, the placement is still active and the couple has offered to care for them long-term.

“They’ve changed our lives as well. They make you feel younger because you’re always on the go, and fitter,” Nigel says.

“We have more purpose in life, to get up and enjoy the weekends. We also go to Bali a fair bit, up the river or to the Yorke Peninsula. When we got the kids, we’ve enjoyed those holidays even more.”

Tammy says the couple were keen to take on another child to give Leila someone to play with – and “she loves it”.

“We love having the kids – life is boring without them,” she says.

“We like to go camping, or glamping, in the caravan, and the kids love riding their bikes."

During Foster and Kinship Carer Week, the department is hosting about 20 events across the state to recognise the vital role carers play in the child protection and family support sector.

For more information about foster care, visit fostercare.sa.gov.au or call 1300 2 FOSTER (1300 2 367 837).

*A pseudonym has been used for privacy reasons