“We spent time each day over about six weeks to eight weeks getting to know the little one, settling her and getting to know her routine,” Marie, a Nurse Manager at a GP Practice in Adelaide’s north said.

“It’s been quite a smooth transition I think.

“We did all the training and were really ready. The first time we met her was at a playground. She wasn’t shy, which really helped.”

Belle, 17, said her new sister had “come out of her shell”.

“She’s very cheeky when you get to know her. She knows all our names and she’s talking more now.

“I’ve never seen my Dad with a younger child – and the fact that he can tell his dad jokes all over again, he’s loving that.”

Marie said the little girl was adjusting “really well, sleeping through the night and eating different foods.”

“We’ve got a cubby for her and a swing set. She just loves getting outside and playing,” she said. “Through fostering, you are giving a child an opportunity to grow up in a family where they are loved and safe and nurtured.”

It seems the benefits are mutual.

“I think it (foster caring) has strengthened the bonds between us all,” Marie added. “My patients say I smile a lot more now – there’s a twinkle in my eye.”