Why be a Cheshire East Foster Carer

Don’t just take our word for it...

Robert
Robert has been a foster carer for 19 years and together with his wife they have fostered many children. "My wife actually decided to find out about fostering and I must admit I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy it - looking back that’s really surprising because now I know just how rewarding it is."
 
"You do have to think carefully about fostering though because it's a huge responsibility and it takes patience, but at the end of the day you're nurturing and developing children who've had a hard time. It's an experience that touches you and the people around you - you can't foster in isolation. We have a boy who is in long-term foster care and to see him grow and discover new things – even simple, ordinary things - is tremendous. We've also fostered a lot of older girls and prepared them for going it alone as adults and we have very good relationships with those foster children. They've stayed in touch and often pop in for a visit - I seem to spend a lot of my time helping them move house while my wife is often called up for a chat!" It is true that older children may not show their true feelings while they are staying with carers but the foster carers are often even more appreciated once the children have moved on.”

"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend becoming a foster carer with Cheshire East Council - you don't have to be special, just be yourself and maybe a good dose of patience and optimism helps! One of our girls has four of her own children now and often asks my wife for advice - that's what makes it worthwhile, to see those children go on into adult life and think I helped them become the people they are today."
 
Andrea
Andrea is a part-time foster carer for disabled children and has been fostering for several years. Often known as ‘respite care’, part-time fostering is a lifeline of support for families with severely disabled children. To Andrea the motivation is clear, “I was brought up with a disabled niece and I’ve always understood the importance of help and support for the children and their families.”
 
“It takes a lot of patience and understanding and you have to learn about different problems that the children may have. You also have to help them with dressing, learning, and coping with special equipment. But there is always help and a network of support from social workers and other carers.”
 
At first a lot of people don’t think how their family will react, as they also have to relate to the children you foster. “I must say that it’s very important to have the support of your family – including your extended family because we don’t let having foster children inhibit us, we take them everywhere. We’re lucky that everyone is right behind us and they really get a lot of enjoyment out of getting to know the different children we take care of.”
 
“It’s also great getting to know the birth family – we get on very well with the mums and dads, and we become part of the family circle – we’re helping them, not replacing them, we provide extra support. Over the years we’ve come to socialise with the parents – one even calls me her sister!”
 
Steve and Sue
Thirteen years ago we made the best decision of our lives. We had seen an advert in the local paper for a coffee morning giving information about providing short breaks/respite for young people with disabilities. We went along with an open mind. Our own family had grown up and flown the nest Steve had a job but I was lost, my life had no meaning, we had thoroughly enjoyed bringing our children up, we were very active parents getting involved in cubs and scouts and youth club and school and now it was gone.
 
Our youngest son is disabled he has a profound hearing loss and poor speech and we appreciated how difficult it could be for parents not having time to charge up their batteries, and also for their other kids who perhaps don’t get as much attention as they deserve. That was the reason we chose to do respite care. After we had completed our initial training and were approved we had some disappointments with matching to children but then at last we had our first child. What a joy! Our first young man had a brain damage condition which occurred through lack of oxygen at birth, his mobility was poor and he had severe learning difficulties. We became good friends with his parents it couldn’t have been better from a matching point of view, they being very similar to us, not just in their jobs and home life but the way we think and we have remained very good friends to this day.”

“Yes, we have had many challenges over the years but that’s how you grow. It wasn’t long before we wanted more of the same and we were matched with a young deaf girl who had good speech but her hearing loss was becoming worse. After 5 years her mum became ill after having a baby and had to be hospitalised and so it made sense that we fostered both her and her brother until mum was able to have them home. That decision changed our lives, when they went back home we were asked to foster another girl and we have never looked back.”

“We are caring for 4 teenage girls at the moment, 2 have been with us for 6 years and are 18 & 17. One is staying with us in adult services, one is about to move into a flat just around the corner from us, another girl has been with us for 4 years and has just gone off to university and the 4th girl has just had her 15th birthday and has been with us (on & off) for 6 months but she will be staying with us now until independence.”

“So here we are again another family grown and flying the nest, so what do we do now? Retire maybe (we are both nearly 60), not on your nelly - more of the same please! I just can’t wait for the next set of challenges; we both have such a lot left in us yet and I can’t imagine a time when we’re not doing this.”