I began my fostering journey after 30 years as a teacher of the Deaf and Educational Audiologist. I realised I needed a career change and hoped my skills from working with young, deaf children and their families would be transferable.
I had mentioned fostering to my husband (pictured above) occasionally over the years but it wasn’t until the youngest of our own four children was approaching adulthood that the time seemed right.
My husband and I specialise in "Bridging*" fostering which is preparing children to move on to a long-term family placements via adoption or special guardianship with family members. In fact, some of our foster children have even moved on to long-term fostering with By the Bridge Foster Parents.
In the seven years we have been fostering (with both Local Authorities and By the Bridge) we have had many children come to live with us. The children have ranged in age from only two days old to eight years old and we’ve fostered both individual children and sibling groups.
Each child brings their own complex trauma history with them and we foster them as therapeutically as we can with the support of By the Bridge. We start by introducing stability and affection, and then develop the attachment, which is often so foreign to a child's life.
We have seen them take the first tiny steps towards trust, the end of foul language and then where there is a genuine feeling of love from a child. Having to then move them onto their long-term future is difficult for both child and us, but we always remain in touch with all those we have fostered, and continue to be a part of their lives and to share the joys and heartbreak with their new families.
Each of these children has taught me much about the practicalities of child development, and how it can go wrong, but the training I have received through By the Bridge and my own personal development of the ‘Certificate in Therapeutic Fostering’ and the ‘MA in Therapeutic Fostering and Adoption’ have helped immeasurably in my understanding of why these children act as they do, and so gradually help them to see there is another way.
Interested in becoming a Foster Parent? You can find out more information HERE
*Bridging fostering is actually relatively unusual within By the Bridge.
