Toowoomba foster Mum Natalie Sykes has parented more than 100 children in her home over the last decade and has now turned her attention to children trapped in residential care.
Ms Sykes, 55, transitioned from general foster care last year to become a specialist foster carer with OzChild to care for the city’s most troubled children.
“Prior to OzChild, I mainly fostered teenagers so I’m quite experienced with challenging behaviours that stem from trauma,” Ms Sykes said.
“Some pretty horrific (acts) have been inflicted on these children,” she said.
“Many of the children I have cared for have been in and out of residential care for most of their lives. Their trauma and inability to regulate their emotions often manifests as anger and aggression.
“I will always remember one child who said they always felt safe in juvie and that broke my heart.”
OzChild pay their specialist foster carers an allowance of $2,884 per fortnight, as caring for these children is a full-time job.
Ms Sykes will be matched with one child, aged between seven and 11 years, for the duration of the 11-month program.
Each morning, an OzChild staff member phones Ms Sykes and they work through a comprehensive behaviour questionnaire which is used to map the child’s progress and identify the underlying cause of problematic behaviours.
Ms Sykes receives regular training and 24/7 support from the OzChild support team.
The team has a teacher who strengthens the child’s engagement with education, a skills coach to improve their social skills, and a family therapist who works with parents and kin to prepare for successful reunification.
The OzChild team stay connected with the family after reunification to ensure a successful transition.
Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP said this positive-reinforcement behaviour therapy was giving children a second chance at childhood.
“These children need to live in a family environment and be loved,” Mr Janetzki said.
“What happened to them was not their fault. They have been neglected, abused, and told their whole life that they are bad,” he said.
“Now through OzChild, these kids have someone to show them that they matter, and they do have a future.”
Ms Sykes believes the team’s accountability contributes to OzChild’s high success rate of reunification.
“Mud sticks. If you keep on telling someone that they are bad – they’re going to prove you right,” Ms Sykes said.
“That is what I love about this program. It’s all about turning the negatives into positives,” she said.
“I am passionate about changing the outcomes for kids in care. I’ve had my foster children go on to become school teachers, military personnel, happy adults living normal lives.
“These kids deserve a chance to reclaim their childhood, and I am honoured to be part of their journey.”
