Descriptive Transcript – Melissa and Scott, Debbie and Steve, Joy and Anthony share their fostering stories Description: A woman and a teenage boy are standing in the kitchen. The woman is Melissa, and she is a foster carer. Melissa is watching as the teenager stirs a chocolate muffin mixture in a glass bowl. A graphic animates onto the bottom of the screen, which reads “The children featured in this video are not in foster care.” The shot cuts to an interview-style set up of Melissa. Melissa: A foster carer is someone who can provide love, a home, you know, a caring environment. Audio Description: A man, Scott, lifts the bonnet of the car. Another teenage boy stands next to him as he does so. Scott and the teenager work on the car’s engine, talking to each other as they do so. The shot cuts to an interview-style set up of Scott. Scott: We had five kids. Three girls and two boys. So, yeah, another one in the mix wasn't too hard to take. The kids were a little bit scared at first as we were, but we all got along pretty well. Description: A wooden sign hangs on a screen door. It reads “Some call it chaos, we call it Family”. The shot cuts to Scott, tidying toys in a child’s bedroom. He picks up dolls off the floor and places them onto the bed, next to a collection of other various soft toys. The shot cuts to Melissa, who is walking on an open bush track next to a creek with a three young children. The shot cuts to Scott, Melissa and the three young children standing next to the creek, tossing pebbles into the water. They smile and laugh together. Scott: And yeah, it's just second nature now to the whole family. Our kids are very nurturing towards the other children. They're very accepting. I think the kids that come into our care are already quite accepting and thankful that somebody has reached out to them. And I think it'll make our children better adults. Description: A close up shot of fish in a fish tank. A young woman is sitting next to a high needs child in a wheelchair. They are watching the fish together. The shot cuts to an interview-style set up of Debbie, a foster carer. Debbie: We have five biological children. When we do get that phone call and you hear about a case, and you know that's going to fit in with your family, it's like, let's give it a go. Description: The young woman and the child continue to watch the fish. The daughter points out fish to the child, and gently strokes his forehead. The shot cuts to circular wooden carving embossed with a tree, and reading “Home Sweet Home”. The shot cuts to an interview-style set up of Steve, a foster carer. Steve: Seeing our own children grow up in this environment it's been an amazing experience for them along the way too. Description: Joy and Anthony, also foster carers, are walking with their teenage biological children along a footpath lined with trees. Joy and Anthony are holding fishing rods. One of the children is skateboarding and the other is riding a scooter. The walk down a short grassy hill towards the water. The shot cuts to an interview-style set up of Anthony. Anthony: We have three children of our own. Our kids, I think having the foster children in the home has sort of opened their eyes a bit to there is an outside world and there is a community. Description: Anthony is making a child’s bed and placing plush toys on top of the sheets. Various close ups of the plush toys; a green monkey, a reindeer in a red dress, a mermaid with a pink tail. Anthony: We're giving back to the community and trying to instil some good morals and set the next generation up for success. Description: An interview-style set up of Joy. The shot cuts away after a few moments, to Anthony as stirs a spoon in a cup of tea, then carries them over to the dining table. Joy is sitting at the table, writing in a planner diary. Anthony puts down the cup of tea in front of her and sits down next to her. They are having a discussion, looking over paperwork together. Joy: If you are an adult who has space in your life for even just one little person, even if it's for a short period of time, we need carers to invest in the lives of these young people. Description: The shot pans across a wooden sign reading “Welcome”. Melissa is walking in the backyard, tidying up toys that are spread across the lawn. She tidies some larger toys away underneath a large, wooden cubby house with a slide. The shot cuts back to the interview-style set up of Melissa. Melissa: If you've got love to give, a roof over your head that you can take someone in and give them that same experience, then go for it. Description: Scott and Melissa next to the creek with the children. Melissa smiles warmly at one of them. The shot cuts to them walking with the young children along a footpath. They are all holding hands. The shot cuts back to the interview-style set up of Scott. Scott: The kids have taught me much more than I thought I could ever learn and I feel blessed to have them so this journey over 16 years has been absolutely fantastic and I hope it goes on for a lot longer. Description: Steve sits on a couch, talking to Debbie. Debbie nurses a child in her lap. Their daughter softly strokes the child’s hand. A non-descript children’s cartoon plays in the background on the TV. The shot cuts back to the interview-style set up of Steve. Steve: For people thinking about becoming carers, the foster care training prepares you for it. We're very much needed in society. Without us, where would the kids go? Description: Debbie and Steve are walking through their garden. It is filled with greenery and potted plants. Each of them carries a mug of tea. Together they look out over the garden. Steve has his arm around Debbie, and he is smiling at her. The shot cuts to Debbie nursing a child in her lap, and then back to her the interview-style set up. Debbie: Out of the whole 21 years we wouldn't change anything. There's always been ups and downs, but overall, we've just loved every experience that we've had and every child that we've had in our care. Description: The shot cuts back to the interview-style set up of Anthony. Anthony: When people ask me, “Why do you do it?” Well, if I don't do it, who will? We feel like we're doing the right thing. And I think that's what it should be about. Description: Anthony reels in his fishing line, in the background the kids are pointing to something in the water along the shoreline. The shot cuts to Joy, who watches as one of her children reels in another line. An aerial shot of Anthony casting a line, as Joy stands next to him with her own rod, and their children play together on the sand. A Queensland Government logo graphic appears, with a URL underneath it. This reads: qld.gov.au/fostercare . The screen then transitions to an authorisation statement, reading: Authorised by the Queensland Government, William St, Brisbane.