The crisis mom - a heart for children, criticism of politics

Sonja Exel, a 60-year-old woman from southern Burgenland, Austria, has dedicated much of her life to caring for children in crisis. With seven biological children and 16 grandchildren, she has opened her home to dozens of other children who have been temporarily placed with her due to family emergencies or crises. Among these children are those who arrive after police interventions or directly from hospitals, children who have endured experiences no child should face. According to Exel, she has taken in around 40 such children since beginning her work as a foster mother in 2013, with 18 of them coming from Burgenland. Her efforts highlight both the personal sacrifices made by individuals in caregiving roles and the broader systemic challenges faced by families in need of support. Exel’s journey into fostering began long before her formal training. She and her husband initially wanted four children, but they ended up with seven, including twins. “Being a mother has never felt burdensome,” she says. Space was never a concern. In the early days, they used stock beds, and later, the children simply shared sleeping arrangements. This experience laid the foundation for her later role in taking in children in need. In 2004, she completed training to become a foster mother, and in 2013, she officially started working with children in crisis situations. Her home has become a refuge for children requiring urgent care, some of whom come with medical conditions requiring constant monitoring. One example is a 12-year-old boy who requires a gastric tube and spends his nights sleeping in the bed alongside her. Despite the challenges, Exel remains steadfast. “Sleepless nights with a baby in the bed don’t bother me,” she says. The emotional toll of her work is evident in the stories she shares. Two young girls arrived at her doorstep in a state of severe neglect. The younger one was less than a year old, while the older was four. They had a strong odor, prompting Exel and her husband to drive with the windows open. For months, the two sisters lived with them in Grafenschachen. When it came time to return them to their biological mother, the four-year-old cried uncontrollably, begging to stay. “She didn’t want to sleep on the floor anymore,” Exel recalls, wiping away tears. That moment remains deeply etched in her memory. Not all endings are tragic. Some stories offer hope. A child who stayed with Exel for 14 months eventually returned to live with his mother in a children's home. Their relationship remained strong, and Exel considers herself an honorary grandmother to him. These moments provide solace amid the difficulties. What fuels Exel’s frustration is the lack of adequate financial support for foster parents. Since 2008, the compensation for caring for a foster child has remained fixed at €550 per month. “It hasn’t changed in nearly 20 years,” she says. This amount, she argues, does little to cover the costs associated with raising a child, especially one with special needs. The situation reflects a broader issue within the Austrian foster care system, which relies heavily on private individuals to fill gaps left by institutional resources. Despite the challenges, Exel continues her work, driven by a deep sense of responsibility and compassion. Her home remains open to children in need, even as the number of licensed foster mothers in Burgenland dwindles. Officially, there are now only two such caregivers in the region. Yet, the demand for support persists, and the phone can ring at any hour. For Exel, the call is always answered.