As we mark Foster and Kinship Carer Week, we’re sharing a glimpse into the lives and experiences of some of the incredible people who make up Lutheran Care’s Foster Care Village.

For Chris and Michelle Kean, foster care is about being there for children through both the hard days and the good ones.

Over the past eight years, they have opened their home and their lives to children and young people in care, walking alongside them as they navigate challenges, celebrate achievements and discover what they are capable of.

To Chris and Michelle, creating brighter futures through care means making sure children feel loved, valued and believed in.

“Sometimes progress can be slow and there can be challenges along the way, but every small step forward is something to be acknowledged and celebrated,” they said.

“It is a privilege to walk alongside these children as they discover how much they are capable of doing in life.”

For the couple, helping children feel safe, heard and supported often means finding approaches that respond to their individual needs. Together, Chris and Michelle have embraced therapeutic and trauma-informed approaches in their parenting, while advocating for the children in their care across education, health and other services.

One of their foster sons has faced challenges at school, including difficulties with regulation and engagement. Through persistence, advocacy and working closely with his school, Chris and Michelle have supported him to build confidence and develop strategies to express his needs. Where he was once regularly sent home early and experienced exclusions, he is now attending full days of mainstream school.

But foster care isn’t only about the big milestones. Sometimes, it is the small moments that stay with you.

Chris and Michelle remember taking the children fishing for the first time and watching as they reeled in their very first fish.

“Their eyes were wide, mouths open, waiting to see the fish, then the biggest cheers and jumps we’d ever seen when it came ashore,” they said.

“There were hugs, high fives and laughter for what felt like hours. When it was time to leave, Master Z turned around and said, ‘I loved this.’ It was one of the best feelings in the world.”

While Chris and Michelle have spent years supporting and teaching the children in their care, they say the learning has gone both ways.

“In many ways, we thought we were teaching these children about life, but they have taught us just as much about patience, resilience, unconditional love and what truly matters in life.”

For Chris and Michelle, foster care is a journey made up of challenges, milestones, laughter and countless small moments of connection.

And after eight years, they continue to feel privileged to walk alongside the children in their care, celebrating every step forward and reminding them just how much they are capable of.

This Foster and Kinship Care Week, we thank Chris and Michelle, and all the foster and kinship carers who are part of Lutheran Care’s Foster Care Village, for the care, commitment and belief they bring to children and young people every day.

For more information, including taking the first step as a carer by attending a free Foster Care Information Session, visit the Lutheran Care Foster Care website.

Chris and Michelle were nominees in the ‘Positive Impact’ category of the 2026 Child Protection & Family Support Awards, sponsored by Lutheran Care. 

Related content: Lutheran Care congratulates newly announced SA Child Protection & Family Support Awards finalists.