Jodie is a wonderful, experienced foster carer based in Geelong. Over the years she has been a respite carer, cared short and long term for many children of different ages, but more recently has been providing care exclusively for teens and adolescents. 

Jodie had a friend who was fostering, but Jodie’s main motivation on the path to becoming a foster carer came from her own experience as both a teacher and a parent; knowing that she had room and more to give and that there were kids out there who needed a safe place to call home, today.

She was working long hours at the time but soon reduced her workload to care for her grandchildren and also the young people who came into her care.

Jodie continues to be motivated by the small things that make a huge difference in a young person’s life - the young adults who stay in touch or go on to get a job and make a good life for themselves who link back to one thing that Jodie’s care provided them or something she said to them, that made a difference in their lives.

“One young teen was with me for three years. That placement was challenging, and he dropped out of school which changes things completely. It becomes a different situation, and he was getting into trouble. He is now a young adult and matured. He has a child of his own and is doing well.”

He keeps in touch and he and Jodie have shared reflections. His was to say sorry. Hers was that “the kids are going to be ok.”

Jodie’s friendships with other foster carers continue to this day and are a major source of support to her in her foster caring. Though her friends and family are supportive… “it takes another carer to truly understand the ways you’re tired and emotional, and that the suggestion that you just ‘give it up’ is not the option you need to hear. With other carers you don’t have to explain why you keep going. Even if the system isn’t working and some of these kids are not being supported properly or you’re being left out of the loop on important decisions that impact your life, the motivation is there revolving around the young person.”

“Even if the difficulties are challenging you to your limits, it’s not about giving up. There are too many children in the system who need you.”

Jodie has been a foster carer for nearly a decade and has learned the boundaries she needs to set in order to maintain all the important roles she fills; as a carer, with her job as a teacher, and as grandmother to an active toddler. 
“I could go on about the frustrations of being both over-governed but also thrown to the wolves. The Child Protection system seems to be about making easy decisions, even if they’re not the right ones, which leave carers with no say but all the responsibility for what happens.
The advent of mobile phones has been really pivotal in that,” says Jodie. “Now that teenagers all have their own phones, the workers, the parents, communicate directly with them so one minute you’re planning appointments and your day or week around what you think is going to happen, only to find out that the worker has made other plans directly with your young person, without your involvement, much less, say in the matter. I work in a school, so I can’t just take a day off but there doesn’t seem to be anyone thinking about things like that.”

“I have my grandkids a day a week so I can’t care for young ones or babies and I have been very clear about that, but I still get the call. A bit of my soul dies every time I have to say, no.”

Jodie’s advice to new carers centres around having your own support and shared experiences.
“I think access to respite is one of the most important things that a carer needs. The challenges are enormous but if you can get that time to be with your friends and family and regroup, it is incredibly important to your mental health and capacity to keep going. Also connecting with other carers. That shared experience is vital support,” Jodie says.

The fulfillment that comes of supporting young people as they reach life goals and meet their potential, is the reward. “Many of the young people I care for have so much trauma, so they are looking for validation in all the wrong places. The complex behaviours that come with that are huge and yes, there is grief when they go. Even when a placement has been really challenging, it gets me every time.”

“But being a safe place whether for a night, three weeks or many years, I think, ‘if I can give you the tools you need to launch into life on your own’, that is the blessing.”