Billie Galloway has spent more than sixty years being a foster parent to more than 3,000 children across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Although she recently retired from caregiving, she continues to offer assistance to hundreds of foster parents.
Galloway had a rural upbringing, an upbringing she's completely grateful for. Her natural love for taking care of children stems from her parents, who cared for extended whānau and people in need of support in rural communities.
She is the eldest of twelve children.
"I was the 'boy' actually. Mum and dad didn't have any boys until they'd had six girls, then we got a boy and then started on girls again...I was dad's sidekick," she says.
When Galloway and her husband Bill moved to Auckland in the 1950s, their whare in Papatoetoe became a safe-haven for foster children and in particular, the children of her siblings.
While in Auckland, the couple also managed a rest home for 20 elderly special needs patients in Mt Eden. Galloway then went on to establish family homes in Greenslade, Northcote before moving to the Manurewa family home.
Although Galloway was never a trained social worker, she had a way with children no matter who they were or what their background was.
"I always used to size up what's gonna be best for the child. I know them, I talked to them and they end up talking to you...they're telling you things that they'd never tell a social worker."
It's her genuine and honest approach that has helped changed the lives of thousands of tamariki.
"I've always found that being absolutely straight up with children in a nice way- sometimes I don't think they should know but, living with them you knew which kids could take what's happening to them, take the facts of life and which couldn't."
Galloway has had generations of whānau go through her care. Over time they became so familiar with her, they would refer to her as 'mum'.
Galloway gave nothing but unconditional love to the tamariki who she cared for, her door was always open and she would take them under her wing and do little things to make them feel special.
One young man who had been in Galloway's home said “in Billie’s house I learnt what love is”. It is a sentiment and feeling that is shared by many.
"I've had the kids grow up and thank me for it years later when they're mothers with their own teenagers and that's when it pays off. Sometimes you think 'was all this worth it?' But when that happens, it's worth it.
"When they realise these people don't use that language here, they mean what they say and they change. One girl did say that to me, she said, 'You know when I came in here, there's no swearing'. I felt good about that."
Galloway looked after children from all walks of life. She took the time to get to know them and taught them valuable life lessons.
She remembers one girl who was under her care.
“She got her first job and I think she got $12 for a fortnight’s work. It was good money then. One of the other kids pinched it and she was crying and crying and I said to her 'isn’t it painful when someone takes your things' and she said 'Yes it is, it’s very painful' and she never stole again. But she’s become a great mother, she got into police work, she's a great person.”
Galloway says although it's been a challenge, it's been a privilege.
Her legacy also lives on through her children. Her son Lyle is a caregiver at Oranga Tamariki.
"There are times where they'd have a full family to place in a family home and mum could technically only take two kids because six was the [limit].
"Mum would say to the social worker, 'Give them all to me, do not split that family apart'. That was totally against the rules and everybody knew it, but everyone also knew you can't split up a family of six," Lyal recalls.
Galloway is now living with Lyle and his family. Lyle says it’s ironic because one of the biggest carers struggles the most to receive care herself.
She has been a volunteer critical support worker for Fostering Kids NZ for many years and is known for not giving up on caregivers.
Galloway and her husband received Queen’s Service Medals for their service as caregivers.