This final episode focuses on the inherent strengths and abilities of foster carers.

Featured are experienced foster carers Heidi and Michael, who speak of the challenges and joys of their foster care journey, their resilience and coping strategies. They speak of the importance of self-care and self-compassion.

Kellie Goes, State Director of MacKillop Family Services in WA, highlights the need for foster carers to have humour and emotional intelligence. She discusses loss and grief, managing trauma, and the value of the Sanctuary Model.

The episode offers insights from Dr. Margaret Kertesz’s research and underscores the critical role of support networks in sustaining foster carers. Foster carers are encouraged to build connections, practice self-care, and reflect on the positive impacts they make.

Through experts and experienced carers, this episode offers wisdom and practical advice to help foster carers and those who support them prepare their hearts for the foster care journey.

(02:36) Heidi's Foster Care Journey

(03:39) Michael's Foster Care Experience

(05:45) The Importance of Humour and Reflection

(06:59) Challenges in the Foster Care System

(08:14) The Power of Saying No

(09:43) Self-Care for Foster Carers

(12:34) The Sanctuary Model

(14:56) Coping with Grief and Loss

Find out more about becoming a foster carer at MacKillop Family Services, visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or call 1300 791 677

Access the MacKillop Family Services and Melbourne University Grief and Loss Research Report – http://www.mackillop.org.au/loss-and-grief-in-foster-care

Sanctuary model at MacKillop Family Services: Trauma-informed Care | MacKillop Family Services

If themes in this content have impacted you, consider contacting Australia's National Grief & Loss Support Hub, Griefline at griefline.org.au or call 1300 845 745.

If you’re a foster carer and require support with grief and loss, please contact your agency for pathways to support.

Produced by ⁠Posterboy Media⁠

Narration written by ⁠Katy Warner⁠

In this episode, host and Principal Practitioner at MacKillop Family Services, Summah Hemming, discusses the critical role of the foster carer’s ‘village’ - the professionals, family and friends who support foster carers.

Discussions include the unique challenges of emergency and short-term placements, cumulative grief, the importance of case manager relationships, and the support strategies employed by MacKillop Family Services to help carers. The episode also looks at the challenges faced by Aboriginal communities, with Cameron McGrath, Aboriginal Practice Lead at MacKillop Family Services, providing insight into the significance and importance of cultural and kinship connections in foster placements.

This episode features Louise Hall, Lead for Partnerships at MacKillop Seasons, who talks about grief education and her work in supporting people around change, loss and grief experiences. While experienced foster carer Agapi shares personal stories and coping strategies.

The episode emphasises the necessity of a supportive village, highlighting the need for both systemic and personal support structures to help foster carers cope with the inevitable feelings of grief and loss when a child leaves their home.

(02:03) The Role of the Village in Foster Care

(02:14) Challenges and Emotional Impact of Foster Caring

(02:39) Professional Perspectives on Supporting Foster Carers

(08:45) Coping Mechanisms and Support Systems for Carers

(09:49) The Importance of Rituals and Acknowledging Grief

(12:05) Cumulative Grief and Its Impact on Carers

(17:57) The Role of Case Managers and Professional Support

(28:01) Kinship Caring and Cultural Considerations

Find out more about becoming a foster carer at MacKillop Family Services, visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or call 1300 791 677

Access the MacKillop Family Services and Melbourne University Grief and Loss Research Report – http://www.mackillop.org.au/loss-and-grief-in-foster-care

MacKillop Seasons: Home | MacKillop Seasons

If themes in this content have impacted you, consider contacting Australia's National Grief & Loss Support Hub, Griefline at griefline.org.au or call 1300 845 745.

If you’re a foster carer and require support with grief and loss, please contact your agency for pathways to support.

Produced by ⁠Posterboy Media⁠}

Narration written by ⁠Katy Warner⁠

This episode focuses on the crucial yet often overlooked role of biological children in foster care families.

Host and Principal Practitioner at MacKillop Family Services, Summah Hemming, meets young adults, Abi, Sophie and Charlotte, who grew up as the biological children in foster care families to unpack their perspective and experience.

Abi, Sophie, and Charlotte discuss the positive impacts on their emotional development and future aspirations, and highlight how familial bonds, shared responsibilities, and life lessons shaped their views on empathy, love, and loss. Carol, a current carer, shares strategies for balancing the needs of biological and foster children and underscores the invaluable life skills gained from fostering.

Dr. Margaret Kertesz’s research provides further insight into the importance of recognising and supporting the perspectives of biological children in foster care families.

The podcast offers valuable insights for current and prospective foster carers, emphasising the importance of family discussions, emotional balance, and the profound impact foster care can have on all members of the foster care family.

(03:02) Meet Abi: A Foster Care Sister

(03:37) Charlotte and Sophie's Foster Care Sibling Experience

(07:48) Carol's Journey as a Foster Carer

(10:24) The Emotional Impact of Foster Caring

(13:29) Coping Strategies and Support Systems

(28:34) The Positive Impact of Foster Care on Biological Children

Find out more about becoming a foster carer at MacKillop Family Services, visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or call 1300 791 677

Access the MacKillop Family Services and Melbourne University Grief and Loss Research Report – http://www.mackillop.org.au/loss-and-grief-in-foster-care

If themes in this content have impacted you, consider contacting Australia's National Grief & Loss Support Hub, Griefline at griefline.org.au or call 1300 845 745.

If you’re a foster carer and require support with grief and loss, please contact your agency for pathways to support.

Produced by Posterboy Media

Narration written by Katy Warner