Foster Care Week 2024 | Spotlight on foster carers Tara and Peter Krakowski

Tara (50 years old) and Peter (58) are the parents of two adult children – a daughter (28 years) and son (31 years) and also currently looking after five kids aged 10, 9, 6, 4 and 3. They have been foster carers for over 12 years, most recently with Baptcare. While our conversation was with Tara, Peter endorsed her responses shared below. They are the ultimate team! “Peter’s such an amazing carer,” said Tara. “He’s very much the other half and we are a team.”

What led you into foster caring?

Years ago, my sister was a receptionist at a youth health service. She’d often tell me about children she met there and I thought – where are the people to help these kids? It really resonated with me and made me think that there had to be something better for these kids and that they needed some help.

It’s not right for kids to have to choose between looking after their siblings at home or going to school.

Then I read an advertisement in the Mercury about foster caring and it got my interest.

We had teenage children then so the time was right. I went along to an information session, did the training, assessments and six months later Peter and I welcomed our first foster child. And the rest, as they say, is history! That was over 11 years ago.

How would you describe your experience? Was it as you expected?

It was wonderful! Our first foster child was 18 months old and we looked after him for six days and then his little sister arrived as a newborn. We looked after her for up to two years until they were reunified with their parents.

It’s so rewarding having kids leaving happy, healthy, confident.

What is it that you like about it?

I feel like I’ve found my niche in life – it’s what I feel that I’m meant to be doing. It’s just a good fit, you know? My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner.

We’ve raised amazing kids and if we can help one child, that’s enough.

What is your family background? Have you come from very caring roots?

Tara: I come from an open and welcoming family.

Since we’ve become foster carers, my folks have done training and are doing respite care and my son and his fiancé are also foster carers with Baptcare awaiting their first placement.

My sister is a respite carer too.

It’s all in the family!

Do you have a standout positive experience to share?

We looked after a four-day old baby boy for five weeks and that was very emotional. We’re still in contact – he’s now 4 – we get updates from his family and that’s doing well. This means a lot.

How do you process having to say goodbye to your foster children?

You just do it. You’ve just got to get on with life.

Our mission is to love them like our own while we have them in our home.