Together with her husband Michael, Nicola has been fostering for more than 14 years. In that time, they’ve welcomed six children in care into their family while also raising three children of their own. Three of the children are still in their care today, showing just how deeply fostering can shape the lives of everyone involved.
While many foster carers balance fostering with work, others – particularly stay-at-home parents – see it as a way to put their parenting experience and family skills to meaningful use.
“I was looking for something that I could still be a stay-at-home mum… and give back something to society itself,” Nicola explains. “The children keep me going. Definitely 100%.”
If she could give one piece of advice? “Don’t do it on your own,” she says. It’s something she had to learn the hard way. But now, she's got a community of foster carers and friends to lean on when things get tough:
I have great fostering friends, that if I'm having a bad day, I can pick up the phone and… I get great support from them.
That network of support, especially from other carers who understand the day-to-day, has become a lifeline. But so has something else.
Nicola is clear: “A good link worker is vital. Vital!” The kind of support that lifts the weight off your shoulders. That listens. That helps you feel heard, even when it’s hard to say what you’re going through.
“They can take the emotion out of it and reword something… and (...) just help you.”
It was that kind of backing that made a real difference when Nicola and her family were struggling to get support for a child with ADHD. “It was hard to get services to listen,” she explains. "It's basically somebody to fight tooth and nail with you to get the services you require.”
Thankfully, they had that somebody in their Origins link worker:
The link worker that we had was extraordinary. She pulled out all the stops, got us help with that problem we were having at the time.
And when carers feel seen, heard and supported, everything else becomes that little bit easier. “You feel listened to – and that’s half the battle,” shares Nicola.
At Origins Foster Care, our Link Workers don’t just ‘check in’. They show up. They’re available 24/7, they listen, they act – and they advocate until the right supports are in place, not just for the child, but for you too. It’s that kind of partnership that sets Origins apart.
Here’s what you can expect when you foster with us:
→ Learn more about the supports Origins provides every foster carer
→ Explore our Become a Foster Carer page to see how you can get started fostering
→ Join one of our upcoming online Fostering Info Sessions
→ Or Apply Online to Become a Foster Carer if you're ready to take the next step
Reach out for any questions and enquiries. A member of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
