For Foster Care Awareness Week 2026, we’re proud to celebrate the incredible caregivers who open their homes and hearts to tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa.
To mark this special week we talked to two Kia Puāwai caregivers - Joe and Cara. Between them, they represent more than 25 years of fostering - grounded in strong whānau values, deep compassion, and a belief that every child deserves stability, love and hope.
Cara and Brent (pictured right) are now based in Feilding after moving from the Waikato. They have been fostering for six years while both working as early childhood teachers. Alongside their own tamariki, they have welcomed two foster children into their home long-term.
For them, fostering is about creating a safe, family-based environment where trust can grow. Cara says, “Watching the change in them over time and gaining their trust more and more is a huge bonus.”
They speak of the “small wins” - seeing confidence build, joy in new experiences, and rangatahi becoming more settled, resilient and outspoken. While there have been challenges, particularly supporting children with additional needs, the positives have always outweighed the hard days. Their foster children are not only part of their immediate household but are embraced by their wider extended whānau - for as long as they need.
Another of our caregivers, Joe (pictured right below), has fostered for an incredible 20 plus years. Raised in Kawerau in a large extended whānau and now based on Auckland's North Shore, Joe describes foster care as an honourable role - one that “stands in the gap between hope and hopelessness.”
“The opportunity to make a positive change in a young person’s life is what drives me.”
He knows those first days can be the hardest. When a young person arrives - often fearful, anxious or carrying anger - he intentionally leads with grace, understanding and aroha. Over time, he has watched fear soften, attitudes shift and trust grow.
Joe recalls one rangatahi who arrived from the justice system with nightly curfews and police monitoring. With support and stability, that young person re-engaged in school, stayed out of trouble, and is now married and working in meaningful employment. “Life has become worth living for that young man,” he says.
Foster care, he reflects, changes the caregiver too. “It examines your intentions and exposes your flaws. I have become a much better person because of it.” Through the trust and vulnerability of the young people in his care, he says he has learned that being a dad is a lifetime commitment - challenging, joyful and deeply rewarding.
Across both stories, a common thread stands out: foster care is about belonging. It is about offering stability, extending grace, celebrating growth, and walking alongside tamariki and rangatahi as they rediscover trust and possibility.
This Foster Care Awareness Week, we acknowledge the aroha, resilience and quiet dedication of all caregivers throughout our communities. You are helping shape brighter futures - one relationship at a time.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming a Kia Puāwai caregiver, we’d love to hear from you.