All children deserve to live in a safe and loving home, yet there are thousands of young people in NSW that don’t get to enjoy this basic human need. Harry was one of these kids.

Harry was in and out of home from the age of 12. Faced with domestic and family violence, mental health issues, financial problems and a lack of family support, like many vulnerable young people, Harry was forced to go into foster care.

Harry wanted to feel like any other normal happy child. He wanted to play with his mates, play sports and live in a safe home with people that love and care for him. He came to Marist180 when he was 14, hoping for support and stability to turn his life around.

Marist180 Foster Care finds homes for children aged 8 – 18 in Western Sydney, offering respite, short term or long term care – but the need for foster care is rising rapidly. We are now seeing increasing numbers of children being removed from abusive, neglectful and sometimes violent situations and they’re being met with fewer homes to live in. We need help now, today.

There are many reasons why children end up in foster care, but when it happens, what they really need is a safe and stable home to live in. Being a foster carer isn’t an easy role but for the right people it’s a very rewarding one. Our long term carers Mark and Kate, reckon “The relationship you build with a young person, seeing them open up and grow is amazing. The rewards far outweigh the challenges”.

Teenage kids need patience, understanding and someone to listen. If you have the capacity to give a young person the attention and communication they need, please consider becoming a foster carer. They need nurturing and time but are also more independent than younger kids, so providing them with guidance is an important part of their journey.

Whether you’re single or in a relationship, if you have a stable home you could help more than you know. Helping a child, like Harry will not only be a rewarding journey for you, it will also turn his life around for the better.

Marist180 and his carers worked together to help Harry get his education back on track and provide the moral support he desperately needed to succeed. He is now happy and well-adjusted and will be eternally grateful for his foster carers and the positive difference they made in his life.

If you, or someone you know, are willing to share your home, time and energy with a child who needs love and support, please contact us to learn more about the support and generous allowance we offer our carers.