May is National Caregivers Month, a time to appreciate and acknowledge the role caregivers play in supporting our community. Tricia, someone who has been a caregiver as a foster mom for 11 years, is defined by compassion and deep commitment to helping children feel safe and valued. As a caregiver, Tricia also takes part in the donor-funded Caring for Caregivers event through the Family Network, where she connects with others and receives well-deserved support.
Tricia began caregiving in a time when her children grew up and began their independent lives, was managing a recent divorce which gave her more time and space to pursue something she had long admired.
“I grew up with a neighbour who fostered children,” she recalls. “I always looked up to her and what she did.”
Caregiving, she emphasizes, is a full-time commitment one that requires patience, adaptability and a great deal of emotional energy. Each day is different, often filled with both challenges and rewards. Her focus remains constant: advocating for her foster son and helping him navigate his world.
Tricia connected with the Rehabilitation Centre for Children as a caregiver through her son’s involvement in Stepping Out on Saturdays. When the invitation was sent to her for the Caring for Caregivers event, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I felt honoured and excited,” she explains. “Since becoming a caregiver, this was the first time I had been invited to something just for me.”
That sense of being seen and appreciated stood out to her immediately.
“You could feel the warmth and acceptance of like-minded people,” she shares.
For someone used to prioritizing others’ needs, the opportunity to focus on herself was both rare and meaningful.
The day included a variety of thoughtful touches: a delicious brunch, engaging conversations, and hands-on self-care activities. Participants arranged their own flower bouquets, blended custom teas, explored meditation and yoga and worked on paint-by-number projects.
Her message to fellow caregivers is clear: take the opportunity.
“It takes some planning to take time for ourselves, but self-care is well deserved,” she says. “There is a seat available at my table!”
One of the most meaningful outcomes of the event was the sense of community it fostered. Sitting with a group of women she had never met before, she quickly found a connection through shared experiences.
“It felt so nice to talk to people going through the same joys and struggles,” she added. “It made me feel that I was not alone.”
She also highlights the value of support for the program through Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation, thanks to donors and grants from The Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation and Rexall Caregiver Network.
This support created an important opportunity for her to “relax, laugh, and meet new people,” while also emphasizing that caregivers deserve care and recognition, too.
“We choose to be caregivers because we love what we do and the children we care for,” she explains.
However, love doesn’t make the work easy. The role is demanding, often behind-the-scenes and not always recognized. That’s why acknowledgment matters.
“It is nice to be recognized for the rewarding, hard work that we do.”
To learn more about caregiver support programs at the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, visit the Family Network webpage. To support more programs like this, please donate today at Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation.