The Age ran a feature in their ‘12 Days: The Gift of Love’ series exploring the rewards of caring for children with special needs. The article entitled ‘Along came Polly, and three lives were transformed’ (30/12/08) profiles Kaye and Gary’s family. Kaye and Gary approached Centacare’s Adoptions and Permanent Care Program six years ago and became permanent carers of ‘Polly’ who was four years of age and diagnosed with an intellectual disability, mild cerebral palsy and epilepsy. It took a year for Kaye and Gary to teach Polly to talk and now she receives wonderful reports from her special school. Kaye and Gary approached the Adoptions and Permanent Care Program again and were asked if they would like another child with special needs as they had made such remarkable progress with Polly. They were matched with ‘Mark’ who was then nine months of age. Kaye says parenting children with special needs is “rewarding, you get so much love”.

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