Full-time foster carer Maria Worner has been named as the 2019 Barnados ACT Mother of the Year.
Recognised for continually going above and beyond for the children in her care, Maria was nominated for the award by her 19-year-old daughter, Nikki, who says her mother โmakes it all look easyโ.
Maria, a mum of two daughters, currently has one foster child in her care, and provides respite care for many others. She says being recognised with the award is โa little bit surrealโ.
โItโs just something that has been part of our lives for a long, long time. To be recognised is pretty amazing, but โฆ I donโt feel like Iโve done anything more than any other mother,โ she says.
โIโm overwhelmed to say the least. I burst into tears when I found out.โ
A foster carer for 15 years, Maria started when she visited a friend in hospital, whose son was in foster care while she recovered.
โI hadnโt actually thought about foster care in that circumstance,โ she says. โI hadnโt heard of the short-term nature or a night here and there, just to help somebody out.โ
She began doing a few nights โhere and thereโ, then, while her daughters were with their dad on alternate weekends, Maria decided to get into crisis care.
โI decided โI think I can do more than thisโโฆ It could be a day, a week, a month, months โฆ and some of those turned into many, many months.
โItโs been a bit of a revolving door since then. That hospital visit changed my life and my girlsโ life.โ
Maria says she wouldnโt be able to do what she does without the support of Basketball ACT, Bunnings (where she can often be found at a fundraising barbecue), the ACT Government and, of course, her two daughters Sharni and Nikki.
โThe fact that I have an amazing support network by way of family and basketball โฆ I have friends that donโt ask who it is or why theyโre with me, they just take them in,โ she says.
โTo see that being brought out in the community is just absolutely beautiful. It brings out the best in people. For these kids to feel safe in an environment โฆ itโs something thatโs been missing. To see them out in that network is so amazing,โ she says.
โThe good times far outweigh the bad, and it has been an amazing journey.
โPeople say โhow do you do it?โ And I say โhow do you not do it?โโ
Maria will join the other State and Territory winners for the announcement of the 2019 Barnados Mother of the Year award at a national ceremony in Sydney, on Thursday 9 May, just before Motherโs Day.
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