Naomi was already running her own business and supporting a teenage son – but was determined to offer a place in her home for a child in need.

“Being a chef for 30 years, I’m adaptable very quickly and I’m just a ‘get it done’ person,” the Yorke Peninsula woman says.

“I just threw myself into it,” she says of her role as a foster carer.

The Department for Child Protection is sharing Naomi’s story in the lead up to Foster and Kinship Carer Week (13-19 September), which recognises the vital role family-based carers play in children’s lives.

Naomi and her former husband had one child – Jaxon, now 18 – and while Naomi would have liked more, life hadn’t panned out that way.

About five years ago, with two of the four bedrooms in her house empty and an awareness of the level of need in her community, she decided to explore foster care. Naomi had long considered becoming a carer but previously believed that might not be possible because she was single.

“There were a lot of children in Jaxon’s school who would come out of school and they’d be laughing, then you’d see them slump because they had to go home,” she says.

She first took on the care of two siblings, who were eventually reunited with their birth family, and later, teenager *Lucy. While Naomi says foster care comes with many challenges, she’s relished seeing changes in Lucy’s life – particularly developments in her emotional regulation and resilience.

Lucy is doing well at school, is involved with multiple sports clubs and was recently accepted into a sports academy.

“After she was accepted…she was saying to her coach and occupational therapist, ‘If I was with any other carer, I wouldn’t have been able to get any of these opportunities like I’ve had with Naomi’.”

“That was nice to hear. Teachers are also saying, ‘She’s come such a long way, and that’s because of you and your help’.”

The Department for Child Protection aims to safely reunify children with their birth families wherever possible. Foster carers play a vital role in caring for children while services work with families to address safety concerns, or to find extended family members who can safely care for the children.

Naomi, who also supports other carers through a role with Uniting Country SA, encourages others who’ve considered foster care to explore the various options available.

“Yes, it’s challenging, but so is parenting any other child. There’s so much support available and it’s such a rewarding experience, knowing that you’re giving a child a new start and a safe place,” Naomi says.

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

*Name has been changed for privacy reasons