To watch the video - see: Fostering.
I’m Karen, and I’ve been fostering for about 10 years now. I used to be a Nanny, so I’ve always worked with children, and then I had my own son 14 years ago. I just decided I wanted to be around a little bit more for school pickup, so I wanted to do something to do with children, and I could be available for him as well.
I think I just saw an advert, maybe on a bus. I just rang up and then went to an information evening and took it from there. I’ve looked after so many different children, on emergency and short-term care. I try and just make everything comfortable and relaxed, because it’s a really big thing for them. For me, I’m sort of used to it, but for the children coming in, everything is new, everything is different.
I’m a single carer, and I manage to be busy and do everything and fit it all in and enjoy it, so it is workable. I remember a 12-year-old saying, the first time I said it was your bedtime, he was like really shocked. He said, ‘Nobody has ever said it’s your bedtime to me before’.
It’s different with each child. I’ve got a 20-year-old that lives with me now, that’s been with me 7 years and he calls me Mum. You know, he is like my own son. Some, you don’t get that relationship straight away and they don’t call you Mum, but you still love them all in the same way and usually they do become attached to you. Even in the midst of sometimes all of the chaos, you have still got that relationship, and they do trust you and know that you’ll meet their needs, and they’ve perhaps not had their needs met before.
Everyone says, ‘I want to make a difference’, but you can see quite quickly that you do make a difference, and you do have a positive impact on their life, and a lot of the children I still keep in touch with and still see. It’s a hard job, it’s not easy, but it’s really really rewarding, and you definitely do make a difference, and if you enjoy being with children and looking after children then, there’s no better job really!