Kylie & Darren

Life will now be completely different for Kylie and Darren – and they couldn’t have wished for more.

The southern suburbs couple who embarked on becoming foster carers at the beginning of the year welcomed a newborn into their home almost six months ago.

“We got 12 hours notice before I met her,” Kylie explained. “We thought it would be a baby or toddler who would come into our care so we had a nursery ready, we just had to make some minor adjustments.

“She was less than a day old when I held her and she snuggled right in. There was an immediate bond.”

In that moment, Kylie said her life changed.

“We weren’t able to have our own children. It wasn’t meant to be for us so we started thinking about adoption but we decided not to go down that path. Friends of ours had become foster carers to a young boy and he’s all grown up now so we talked to them about it.

“Then I just looked up foster care agencies in Adelaide on the internet and I found Junction.”

That was in January. Following checks and registering process including home visits, Kylie and Darren were approved as carers in June.

“At the start you just want to get more information but as we got further into it we began this emotional journey that we were then fully invested in. It (the carer assessment and registration process) is in depth because it has to be.”

"You have to dig deep within yourselves and really understand your own limitations and what is driving you to do this."

“It (fostering) is a rewarding experience but it’s a very different to having your own biological child because not all the decisions are yours and you have to accept that. They require 100 per cent of your commitment.”

Kylie said the calmness and empathy she gained through her profession as a nurse had helped in her role as a foster carer.

“I’ve seen a lot in my career and the experience of adults from a range of backgrounds. I understand that things happen to people and life can be complicated by many things.

“We are blessed to have been given the opportunity to have the first bath, the first time she rolled over and the first time she smiled at us. Those are the moments that make any difficult times worth it.”

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