If you’ve ever considered fostering, you may be curious about what it’s really like to become a foster carer. We’ve been speaking with our foster carers and learning more about why they decided to foster, especially those that have taken a change in direction in life and made a significant change to become foster carers.
Tracy and Lee from Foster Wales RCT have fostered for over 20 years.
They are two of our long-serving foster carers and have seen how the fostering landscape has changed over the years. As pioneer foster carers, they love to share their fostering experiences and knowledge of the process to encourage others to learn more. It’s just one example of what it’s like to become a foster carer.
We asked Tracy a few questions:
Why did you decide to foster?
“We wanted to be parents, applied to be adopters, however during the assessment process we were asked if we had thought about fostering.”
How long was your approval process for fostering?
“We saw a TV campaign advertising national Adoption week. I rang up and asked for an information pack but didn’t do much about it at the time. I think it was a follow up call about 6 months later that started the process off for us.”
Does having your own children restrict you from fostering?
Every family dynamic is different. Some of our foster families already have children, some have children that live with them, some have older children who have left home, some have no children of their own. We only ask that you have a spare room for the foster child to have a space of their own.
Tracy shared with us a bit of background info about their family dynamic:
“We are blessed by having 2 birth children via fertility treatment, both are now adults. Our son is teaching at a comprehensive school and a carer with the Ategi shared lives scheme. Our daughter is currently studying at Bath University.
Our very first foster placement is now 24, she was with us for Christmas.
We currently have a 2yr old, 3yr old and 7yr old in placement.”
What is fostering like compared to your previous role?
“I won’t lie, it’s very demanding with long hours but very rewarding!”
Fostering is something you can do alongside your employment, however it’s essential that your role is flexible enough to accommodate caring for children or young people. Often people opt to foster older children or teenagers so that they can still work alongside fostering. Foster Wales Monmouthshire have written a blog about it, so check it out if you want a bit more info!
What do you enjoy most about your fostering journey?
“Our very first placement is dyslexic, she needed to take her English GCSEs 5 times to get her grade for uni but she is currently studying her masters.
We have successfully moved children on to adoption.
For us it’s a blessing to help these young people reach their potential and thrive in life.“
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
“Being flexible is essential to the role of a foster carer. The ability to give care to a range of different children and young people who all are individuals, with different needs. You wear a lot of hats as a foster carer, and sometimes the ability to reach out and ask for support, or ask questions is an overlooked skill, but one that is extremely important.
We’ve learned a lot along the way, and we really feel like we are making a difference to young people’s lives. We plant the seeds and watch them grow.
It is a hard job however it’s very rewarding and it’s a privilege to help and support those who need our help, during some of their most difficult times in their lives.”
Is it time for a change?
At Foster Wales RCT we’re asking you to consider the possibility of welcoming a local foster child, to provide a stable, caring place for them to call home. We’d love to hear from you if you’re passionate about helping others and want to start a rewarding and fulfilling journey to helping brighten the future of local children.
There’s plenty of information on our website but we encourage you to get in touch, ask us questions and start the conversation about fostering! There is no obligation, and we’re not a scary bunch (we promise!).
We just want to help as many local children as possible, and it all starts with you.
If you live in Wales, visit the Foster Wales website where you can find all the information and contact your local authority service.
