Gavin and Jodie Morrow are not your average couple in their 50s.

While their friends and peers plan for a period of slowing down and embracing life as empty-nesters, the Morrows have instead opened their doors to young children in need. 

Gavin, 59, and Jodie, 53, have been emergency respite foster carers with Uniting VicTas since 2020. 

The children, aged between 18 months to 17 years, stay with the couple at their family home for one or two nights during a weekend.  

Admirably, the Morrows are both full-time workers, caring for children who need a safe home on their weekends off. 

Their experience offers an alternative to the long-term commitment stereotypical of foster-care.   

“We both work. Gavin has car dealerships, so we have a lot of things that we do on weekends and events,” Jodie said. 

“But I think it shows people, too, that you can still be busy and you can still do fostering because you don’t have to make some massive commitment. 

“You don’t have to foster children full-time to make a difference.” 

The couple had different motivations for becoming carers. 

Jodie, who never had children of her own, wanted to experience motherhood, while Gavin, whose three
children from a previous relationship had grown up and left the family nest, was just happy to put his hand up. 

“Initially it was because I’d never had any of my own children,” Jodie said.

“I just felt like I had something to offer.” 

Many of the children in their care initially arrive with a myriad of feelings, emotions and behaviours from households prior, requiring the Morrows to begin a meticulous yet necessary process of building trust and learning how best to care for the child. 

“We’ve had some challenging kids come through, but then on the other hand, we’ve also had some absolute rippers too,” Gavin said.

“When they come in, we just make sure they know this is a safe house. Make them feel safe, make them feel welcome.” 

In a child’s first night at the house, they leave the lights on so that the child will not fear the darkness and can roam freely in the new space. 

“Sometimes kids in care with other people ... they just get put in their room, told to be quiet, come out when it’s tea time,” Gavin said. “When tea’s finished, go back to your room.” 

The Morrows’ approach to care is steeped in kindness, routine, animal companionship and outdoor activities. 

They quickly discovered their pets, two dogs and a cat, became a great way to assuage the children’s unease at being in a new home and get them outdoors. 

“We use the animals as tools,” Gavin said. 

“Sometimes you’d find kids just sitting out on the lawn patting the dogs. 

“We’d say to the kids, ‘come on, let’s go for a walk’ and surprise, they’re doing exercise, which they didn’t even know they were doing.”  

They also try to keep the children off screens as much as possible.  

“We’d ride the bikes, we’d take a footy down to the oval, we’d go to the playground ... go to the Grampians, Halls Gap, and buy an ice-cream,” Gavin said.

“Maybe give them the experiences they haven’t had an opportunity to do.”  

Some children are recurring visitors; their full-time foster carers needing a momentary reprieve from housing the children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

As the weekends progress, the Morrows have noticed slight changes in the children they foster – something they attribute to being a consistent adult presence in the child’s life, providing guidance when needed. Gavin’s positive impact on a quiet girl in their care who was having issues with her friendship group is testament to the couple’s ability to adapt to each child and lend an ear during times of hardship.   

They have also formed a special bond with three brothers who stay with them one weekend a month, or as needed, to relieve their full-time career. 

When the boys first arrived, they bonded with Gavin over sport, discussing their love of soccer and kicking the footy around the local oval. 

After introducing them to AFL, Gavin gave the boys a Sherrin football to take home and encouraged them to practise more. 

Two of the boys now play in the local Wimmera Football Netball League.  

“We’ve had them for about three or four years. They’re part of the family now,” Jodie said. 

“Our families on both sides virtually just treat them as our own children.”

Gavin said the relationship with the children was mutually beneficial.

“I think we’ve been good for them, and they’ve also been good for us because they’re such good kids,” he said. 

“They just make us happy, and I think they keep us grounded too.”  

When asked if they would recommend emergency respite care to others, the couple immediately responded ‘absolutely’. 

Whether people can offer a weekend, a night, or occasional respite care, their support can provide stability, safety and connection for children who need it most. 

Uniting is currently seeking foster carers across the Wimmera and southern Mallee region. 

People who have considered opening their home to a child in need are encouraged to seek more information. 

To find out how to help, people can contact Uniting on 1800 929 181 or visit www.unitingvictas.org.au.

Foster Care Week

This week is Foster Care Week in Victoria – a time to celebrate foster carers and the important role they play in the lives of children and young people, while raising awareness of the growing need for more people to consider becoming foster carers.

This year’s Foster Care Week theme of ‘Open Doors. Open Hearts. Open Opportunities.’ recognises the many ways people can support children and young people through foster care, and encourages them to explore how caring for a child could fit into their lives.

Family-based care supports children’s wellbeing, education, development and connections to family, community and culture. 

Foster carers are an essential part of Victoria’s care system, helping provide support when it is needed most.

More than 9100 Victorian children and young people are currently living in out-of-home care, with more than 7400 in kinship-care and more than 1200 in foster-care.

The entire September 16, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!