Errol Bain and his wife Rebecca have two foster children through Child, Youth and Family living in their South Dunedin home.
The two foster children were boys, both under the age of 5, who had been living in the house since they were month-old babies.
A smile was reward enough to foster children, Mr Bain said.
"I don’t expect anything — getting home at the end of the day and having kids happy to see you, it makes it all worthwhile."
The smiles were as great as those from the couple’s two biological children, aged 16 and 13.
Mrs Bain said the couple had cared for 25 foster children in nearly eight years.
"We do a bit of everything, emergency, respite for families, transitional and we are working towards permanency at the moment."
Every child who came to the house painted a picture, which was hung on a hallway wall.
The paintings surround a plaque saying "Remember . . . as far as anyone knows we’re a nice normal family".
Mrs Bain said the children intended to celebrate Father’s Day by providing Dad breakfast in bed — probably his favourite, waffles — and by spending some time with him.
Mr Bain, who works for TWL Freighting, said he expected to get home-made cards and "kindy presents wrapped in cellophane" and hoped to find time to shoot some goats near Waitati, to harvest dog food, with a new rifle.
