Amaroo couple Monica and Mark Kotzur have six biological children between them and are also fostering two little girls, aged 16 months and eight months.
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They offer a safe environment for children who need short-term or emergency care, looking after eight foster children in the last four years, often at a moment's notice.
"You just need to be able to love a child and open your heart to them," Monica said.
The eight-month-old girl came to them direct from the hospital just days after she was born. The little one is returning to her birth family on Monday, making Mother's Day on Sunday even more poignant for Monica.
"We're really excited she will be back with her family," she said.
"The family was not in a position they could not care for her at the time. We worked really closely with them and they're very grateful and respectful of us."
But it was definitely a wrench to see her go.
"If you didn't love the children that come into your care, you wouldn't be heartbroken when they leave," Monica said.
"We talk about it all the time to our children, right from when they come to us. They're not our children. They come into our care and we love them but the kids have always known she will be going back to her birth family.
"We are just so blessed that we've been able to have her in our life and her family. To have been able to help them out has been so rewarding for us."
Barnardos ACT says at least 80 more foster carers are needed in Canberra to provide both long-care and crisis care for children whose own parents cannot care for them.
It is hoping Mother's Day will spark a conversation among Canberrans and get them considering whether they could become a foster carer, for even an occasional weekend.
Single, married, gay, partnered people are all eligible to apply to be foster carers.
ACT Together is a new foster care consortium of which Barnardos is the lead agency. About 650 children were in foster care in the ACT.
Barnardos ACT spokeswoman Melissa Bell said carers received training, 24-hour support and an allowance. They were also subject to security measures including police checks to ensure the children were entering a safe home.
"Having a really good system of care means we can find a carer who really mets that child's needs," Ms Bell said.
"So if we don't have the number and diversity of carers we need, then we don't have all those varied options to give that child the care they require."
Ms Bell said there were many reasons a birth family could not care for their children.
"With very young children, it's very often drug and alcohol issues, sometimes it's to do with domestic violence or mental health," she said.
"There's a variety of reasons children come into care and it's about providing a safe home for those children. And about determining if the birth family can in the meantime get the help and support they need to provide that safe environment."
While the Kotzurs specialise in short-term care, they hope to make the 16-month-old girl, who came to them at five weeks, a permanent part of their family.
Monica says having the foster children in her home has given her family so much, not least a greater sense of compassion among their own children.
Mark, 44, has an eighteen-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son. Monica, 46, has a 16-year-old son. And together the couple have children aged nine, six and three.
"We really wanted to give back to the community and we've still got lots of love to give and we could open our home to kids in need," she said.
"'If not us, who else?' is what we sort of thing. We're just a normal family and we're teaching our own kids the value of helping others in the community."
To discuss becoming a foster carer call 1300 WE FOSTER or go to www.acttogether.org.au
