By Christine de Kock
FOSTER carer Dawn Burgess is one of the first people from the City of Maribyrnong to be nominated for the Rotary Club of Footscray’s John Kerr Award.
Anglicare Yarraville Fostercare acting team leader Kerrie Penington said Mrs Burgess made a significant contribution to the community.
“Her commitment to the concerns and welfare of children in her care has always been exceptional and she has the ability to work cooperatively with and acknowledge the importance of the child’s birth family in their life,” Ms Pennington said.
Mrs Burgess, 70, has cared for children as a foster carer since 1994.
“My children had all grown up with safety and I just had a love of children,” she said.
Mrs Burgess attended a Anglicare Fostercare information evening and thought she was too old to participate. But she changed her mind after talking to a Anglicare Fostercare worker.
“She said no, you are at the age when you are not a threat to children, they don’t think that they are going to be taken away from their mum, and I thought about it and I thought, that’s right,” she said.
“Children are very vulnerable and if you take them away from their families and put them in an environment they have never been in they can get very stressed out. But you put them with a grandmother figure it makes things a little bit easier.”
Mrs Burgess has cared for about 50 children, but one little boy particularly tugged her heart strings.
He came to her as an 18-month-old and has lived with Mrs Burgess for the past 10 years.
“I’ve been taking on more permanent resident children,” she said.
“Three others that I took on I thought I would have for a couple of weeks but ended up with me longer.”
Mrs Burgess enjoys caring for active children despite her years.
“I asked them (Anglicare) why are you bringing me boys and they said, because you can keep up with them,” she laughs.
Residents and workers in the West are urged to take part in the John Kerr Awards.
The award acknowledges the contribution people in the West make to better the community.
The nominations are open until 7 December.
