Matt Twigge Opening His Heart and His Home

New Zealander Matt Twigge, 52, a mechanic, and Scottish wife Joyce, 48, moved between their two home countries for some years before settling in Queensland to raise their two children. When those grown-up children left home a couple of years ago, Joyce and Matt felt they had more to offer.

Matt encouraged Joyce to leave her stressful job as a health practice manager to follow her heart.

The couple made inquiries through a Queensland fostering agency, representatives came to interview them and within days they were in pre-training sessions.

“They take you through the basics of foster care, why kids come into foster care, they talk about different types of abuse – physical and sexual – drugs, alcohol and all the different reasons why care is needed,” Joyce says.

Matt believes more people would test the waters of foster caring if they just understood the range of options available. Carers can choose to accept only babies up to the age of one, or only children of a certain age range, or only respite care – which can be for as little as an hour at a time or one weekend a month.

“It’s a great thing,” he says. “These children have had clothing, food and shelter of some description, but the main thing that they seem to be missing out on is love.”

Original article by The Rockhampton Morning Bulletin, April 24, 2017.