The sight of two young girls excited about the smell of fresh bedsheets was a powerful moment in Margie’s decades spent as a foster carer.

Margie and her husband Gary have been carers for more than 30 years, having looked after 107 children in South Australia, and about another 200 when they lived in the Northern Territory.

The Yorke Peninsula couple adopted two children after they were unable to conceive, and have since cared for more than 300 children, mostly on short-term and respite foster care arrangements.

“I can remember these two girls who came into our care – they were very busy and just ran around the house like little rabbits,” Margie says.

“They took off through the house investigating, as kids do, and one of the girls said, ‘Come here’, and we went to see what was going on.

“The youngest one had the bed sheets all pulled back and said, ‘Smell these sheets … that smells so good’.

“Most kids would be looking for the toys but not these girls – they were lying on the bed sniffing sheets.”

Margie, 67 and Gary, 71, are supported by Uniting Country SA, which recently hosted a celebration for the pair as they retire from their role as foster carers.

Margie says they love being around children and are driven by the belief that they all deserve an equal chance in life.

“Kids don’t have a choice about which family they’re born into,” she says.

“Sometimes the circumstances for parents change too, and they can’t do the great job that they set out to do.”

Margie and Gary keep in touch with many of the children they’ve cared for, who still call them Nan and Pop. They often receive phone calls about their school achievements – or from young people looking to chat about life events, such as relationship break-ups.

Margie encourages others who have considered foster care to take the next step.

“Having the kids here is our life, it’s our passion – we get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Kids just enjoy the sense of being part of a family,” she says.

Uniting Country SA chief executive officer Dr Harry Randhawa said the couple’s commitment to children in care and regional communities was “exemplary”.

“Margie and Gary are real-life superheroes for providing a safe and loving environment for over 300 young people,” Dr Randhawa said.

“On behalf of Uniting Country SA, I send my profound gratitude and wish them a wonderful retirement.”

To find out more about foster care for young people and how to become a foster carer, visit the Department for Child Protection  or Uniting Country SA.

This article was prepared by the Department for Child Protection and has been reproduced here with permission.