Becoming a foster carer can be so rewarding

Opening your home to a child or young person when they’re not your own can present its own challenges, but can also prove very rewarding in the process.

For Angela, working with children in a care environment was far from a new experience. When she decided to become a foster carer with Fostering People, she brought with her a range of experience in working in a residential care setting, which stood her in good stead for understanding the individual needs of a looked after child or young person. But it’s not Angela’s background that drives her desire to foster. It’s about witnessing first hand the real difference fostering can make to a child’s life.

Changing lives together

“I’ve always worked with children, from working as a nursery nurse right through to my two years working in a residential care environment,” says Angela, from Birmingham. “I had some previous experience of fostering through my Contact work, where I helped to manage the relationship between the foster carer, the birth parents, and the looked after children and young people. But when I witnessed first hand the progress a child makes in a fostering environment, I knew that was the way forward for me to make a positive and lasting difference.”

From Angela’s initial enquiry into fostering, which came through the form of an online enquiry via the Fostering People website, the ongoing support that she would come to receive became apparent.

“Somebody from Fostering People came out to visit me,” says Angela. “We began the application process from that initial meeting. I felt really encouraged by the representative from Fostering People, which has been matched by the level of subsequent support that I have gone on to receive.

“It’s really nice to feel part of the Fostering People organisation,” added the Birmingham foster carer. “There’s always support available on the phone, and my relationship with my Fostering People Social Worker has been excellent – a real benefit to my fostering experience.

Eighteen months on, Angela is now on her fifth placement. And it’s been quite a varied time too.

“My second placement was an Asylum Seeking Afghani young person, which was pretty eye opening. He couldn’t speak English, so we had to form our own method of communicating. It was a great experience – we managed to break the communication barrier and he picked things up really quickly.”

This was followed by a period looking after a child with a disability and also a group of three children – brothers and sisters all under 5 years old.

“It’s been so rewarding – especially working with the sibling group. You can see the change in them now compared to when they first arrived. That’s what happens when you have the opportunity to work with children in a home environment, the ability to look after them in an everyday setting has really helped them to grow – both in confidence and their ability to become independent in future life,” explains Angela.

The considerations of becoming a foster carer

As Angela looks back on her first year as a foster carer, she raises the considerations that any potential foster carer should take into account when deciding if fostering is right for them. “I’d certainly advise fostering – but for the right reasons. You must be willing to open your home unconditionally to another person. Being paid to foster allows you to commit your time to the challenge, but it’s not a ‘job’ as such, it’s a life changing decision.

“Fostering is about putting everything in to building confidence in a child or young person, acknowledging their issues in a non-judgemental way, and working with them for a positive and brighter future.”

Working with the team at Fostering People

The team at Fostering People are proud to maintain a personal and local approach to foster carer support. And that’s something that foster carers relish in their fostering experience.

“It’s the personal touch that you get with Fostering People that makes all the difference,” explains Angela. “You need that level of fostering support. Fostering a child can call for some sensitivity in the way that you handle situations and it’s so helpful to have advice from your Social Worker in the shape of a phone call or visit.”

Angela’s desire to support and empower children stands out as the most influential factor in Angela’s fostering career, and this has been helped by her relationship with her Fostering People Social Worker. “The level of support and interaction that I’ve received from my Social Worker has been brilliant,” she comments. “I’m now working with my second Social Worker from Fostering People and our relationship is increasingly developing.

“I like the way that Fostering People also go that extra step in fostering, arranging activities for example – we went to a theme park recently – and providing support groups. It all helps to improve the fostering experience.”

If you would like further information about becoming a foster carer, please complete our enquire online form or telephone 0800 077 8159.

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