A Mandurah foster mum who has cared for 33 children over the last two years is pleading for more carers to help with record numbers of children in dire need.
Leona Gates said more safe and happy homes were wanted than ever before, with 4500 children requiring foster care across Western Australia, half of them Aboriginal.
Mrs Gates, who provides short-term and emergency foster care, is hoping a big crowd of interested people will attend an information session at Wanslea Family Services on April 30.
She said fostering children was rewarding beyond imagination.
“It gives me a reason to get out of bed, to have kids laughing and playing in the house, helping me look after my dog and my birds,” she said.
“I had a 14-year-old pregnant girl stay with me and when she left, she sent me photos of her baby – she still does – she keeps in contact and the others who are old enough to ring me, they keep in contact.”
Mrs Gates said she started fostering after her husband passed away.
“I was sitting, feeling very, very sorry for myself after I'd lost my husband, and an advert came up on the telly about an information day at Wanslea and I thought, 'well, that's something I could do' and here I am, two years later,” she said.
Mrs Gates has a message for anyone who has been interested in foster caring, but was still in two minds.
“Don't think about it, go and do it.”
Wanslea family support worker Kate Lamers said there was a need for more Aboriginal foster carers, with Aboriginal children making up more than 50 per cent of all children in out-of-home care.
“We do the best we can to keep kids connected with culture, but we can only do as much as we can do, and its much better if we can place them with an Aboriginal family,” she said.
An information session on foster caring will be held on April 30 from 12.00-2.00pm at Wanslea’s Mandurah office at 26A Anstruther Road.