Couple With Hundreds of Children

Couple helps children in need

WITH more than 1550 children in the Logan area in foster care, foster carers are calling out for more residents to take up the challenge and change a young person’s life.

Crestmead carers Janice and Bernie Cormick are among the 550 carers in the Logan area and have been foster carers for more than 25 years.

The couple decided to open up their home because they had room enough to share.

They have lost count of all the children who have lived with them, but said there would have been hundreds.

“When we first started out we had as many as eight children, sometimes 10, because carers were so scarce,” Mrs Cormick said.

Some children stayed for as little as two days, others are still living with the Cormicks more than 15 years later.

Mrs Cormick said being a carer was very rewarding, but not without its challenges.

“A lot of the little children have no social skills, no empathy and things like that,” she said.

“A lot of it can be neglect from parents or parents have been unable to provide for them.

“There are challenges but what happens is you have very good training. There is a buddy system, there are support groups.”

The Cormicks, both in their 70s, currently foster four boys aged 9,11,12 and 14 as well as having two of their long-term charges aged 20 and 21 who still live with them.

“Luckily, there’s no age limit, it goes on your health,” Mrs Cormick said.

“We just need more carers. We desperately need more indigenous carers because of cultural reasons, so the indigenous child doesn’t miss out on their culture.

“And we desperately need respite carers as well to give others a break.”

Mrs Cormick encouraged residents to consider becoming a foster carer.

“Anybody can do it. It’s just the understanding of children and being able to support them,” she said.