Maureen Simmons, the President of the local Foster Parent Association (FPA), lovingly refers to her house as ‘Do Drop In’.

That’s because after being a foster parent for more than ten years, she’s used to having children stop by and want to stay.

“It’s just such a fantastic feeling being a foster parent,” Ms Simmons explained. “There’s no words to describe the feeling you get knowing you are comforting a child and showing them a new way of life. Just to see their eyes brighten up.

“My daughter Lindsay [Durham] has a foster child now and every time we do something the little girl says ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ because she is just so grateful. And it’s extremely rewarding.

“I think that anyone who has room in their house should open it up to these children,” she said. “We fostered my son at six months old and a year later we adopted him. He’s part of our family.”

Ms Simmons joined with other members of the FPA to share their touching stories, in honour of May’s National Foster Care Month.

She said two of the main questions people ask her about becoming a foster parent is: how to do it and what it’s like.

“I tell them you have to show these children a norm outside of what they think is the norm because a lot of them grow up where there is cursing and fighting, no one is getting along.

“But when these children come into your home you need to show them what a healthy family life should be like and fill your household with lots of positivity.”

The FPA was set up as a register charity in 1984. It provides support to foster families assisted by the Department of Child and Family Services.

Selena Simons, a foster care coordinator, said the charity was a “direct arm” for the department and works to raise funds for things not normally in the Government’s budget.

“When children have been selected to go on school trips, the FPA provides assistance for that,” she said. “It also helps out with any specialised equipment like laptops, instruments and holiday camps that go above our range of what we are able to pay for.

“And most recently, as of last year, the FPA established a Glenda Edwards Scholarship Fund for children who are going out of the system, who are age 18 and pursuing further education,” she said.

According to Ms Durham, the Department of Child and Family Services offer foster parents a lot of support.

She said they “go above and beyond” in their jobs and make themselves available after hours to answer questions or offer support.

There are certainly some trials that can come along with being a foster parent.

Antoinette Simmons is considered a therapeutic foster parent because she specialises in dealing with some of the more difficult cases.

She said: “There are a lot of challenges, but just like anything else you make a plan and try to stick with it. And if that doesn’t work then you change it into something that might work. It’s constant, that’s all I can say.”

She said it involves a lot of “patience, love and constant reinforcement”; you also have to do everything possible to make sure the child is well adjusted and adapted to the new environment.

“It’s not easy, but like Maureen said it’s very rewarding and it’s good to see a child go from A to B to C to D and see them grow and change in themselves.”

While a foster parent to one particular child she would have strangers come up to her on the street thanking her, shaking her hand and crying because of the changes they were seeing with that young person.

“They say things like ‘Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. You are doing a wonderful job’.

“And it’s not like it’s just your peers, but rather people in the community who knew this child before you met them and can see the change and appreciate it enough to stop you and thank you. That really is a great feeling,” Antoinette Simmons said.

She explained that when you are doing something right, you can see that child’s self esteem and confidence grow. They are also better able to give and receive love, have a more positive outlook and might be doing better in school.

Foster mom Teresa Trott said for all that you give these children, they can also give you a lot back.

Although she hasn’t had a foster child in a while, one year she had three young children in emergency care staying with her temporarily.

“I recall one child who was maybe one-years-old and it was just rewarding for me. It’s something you can’t even express,” she said.

“It just makes you feel like doing even more, because these are little ones that didn’t ask to be in the situation they are in. For me it changed my life.”

Inspector Tracy Burgess, of the Public Protection Department, recently signed up to be a foster parent after seeing Maureen Simmons and Lindsay Durham with their foster children.

“I saw [Ms Simmons’ son] grow from a boy into a young man and watching him get involved in the family, knowing he is a foster child, I couldn’t believe it.

“I thought ‘Wow, there is something really special going on here’.”

One child that was placed with Ms Durham didn’t speak, but started developing before everyone’s eyes.

“I couldn’t believe the love someone showed them could develop them and make them feel wanted, appreciated and loved and want to please and want to do,” Insp Burgess said. “I can see how gratifying it is.”

To find out about the FPA’s upcoming fundraisers, including its annual tag day and a golf tournament, see sidebar.

For more information on the charity, e-mail fpabda@hotmail.com.