Carly and Steve provide kinship care to Carly’s young niece. When their niece unexpectedly needed care over a year ago, they did not hesitate to say yes when asked if they could take her in.
Here, they share their experiences of looking after their little one and what it’s been like to work with the Anglicare team.
“I guess you could say [being carers] wasn’t on our bingo card. Steve and I actually made the decision not to have children, ourselves.
“Our little girl is my brother’s daughter. While both of her parents love her with all their hearts, they were unable to provide the level of care that a newborn baby needs.”
After being approached by the Department of Child Safety, Carly and Steve were asked if they would be willing to care for her. For them, it was a pretty straightforward answer.
“Initially we were providing respite to mum on a weekly basis. Mum and dad were assigned to Anglicare, and it was decided that we would go on as joint kinship carers.
“The support from Anglicare has been extremely helpful. It’s hard to imagine doing it without them. They’ve been amazing. It feels like we’re catching up with friends sometimes and not like they’re just ticking boxes. It’s like they’re just there to support us.
“Whenever we have any sort of question… they’re very responsive.
“Even though it wasn’t what we had planned, it’s given us the opportunity to help raise a child.”
Watch more of their story here:
If you would like to read more about the experiences of our other foster and kinship carers, please click here. Otherwise, if you have a question or want to learn more, click here to reach out to our team.