Nicole and Stephen have dedicated their retirement to providing care and love for those who need it most. This truly amazing couple have committed themselves to a selfless service to children and youth in care because they believe that every child deserves a good home where their needs for love, safety, health, and well-being must be nurtured.

Nicole and Stephen are truly dedicated to every aspect of caregiving. They are well-rounded, communicative, devoted, and loving individuals that thrive on helping the children in their care reach their potential, treating parenting as a gift. They welcome every child that comes into their home and do so with love. They have cared for children and youth experiencing trauma, emotional and mental health issues, and even health-related challenges, without an ounce of hesitation; their only concern is obtaining the help the child needs by working with professionals to help their children through their journey. Nicole and Stephen foster through a lens of understanding of trauma on the developing brain, believing that a child’s behaviour does not define the child.

Family and connection are very important to Nicole and Stephen so connecting children to important relationships is of utmost priority. As the needs of the kids in their care set their precedence, they’ve gone to great lengths to ensure they are met. Christmas Eve of 2019, they invited the biological mother of one of their foster daughters into their home to spend it with her daughter. They often facilitate sibling visits in their home as well, even resulting once in them advocating to have a sibling placed in their home who was living in a group home, changing her life profoundly, as she is now with her sibling and caregivers who want nothing but the best for her.

Their selflessness is truly boundless, as was the case during the height of the pandemic when Stephen took the opportunity to provide a major facelift to all the rooms hosting children in care at the Calgary Children’s Services Offices, volunteering his time to paint all the Calgary MST visitation rooms. In addition, since their time in the fostering community, they’ve dedicated themselves to fully engaging in the Calgary and District Foster Parents Association by attending meetings and activities, and by Nicole becoming a board member where she serves as vice-president.

Between their forward thinking and continual pursuit of education and trainings to best support the children in their care, and their embracing and incorporation of culture into their home, they have a well-rounded, welcoming, accepting household for any child that should come into their lives. As their nominator stated, “It would be a big honour to recognize those who do great things in a very humble manner.”

Congratulations Nicole and Stephen, on your award. Your dedication to the well-being of children and youth in care is inspiring!