A REAL-LIFE ACCOUNT FROM A FOSTER PARENT WHO WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. By Christine Andrew, Recruitment Coordinator, Anchor Foster Care
The road to becoming a foster parent can be challenging, but someone in the right position has the ability to make a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives. This week, Laura, a Parent and Child Foster Parent shares her story with us. She has literally changed her life to be able to take on this rewarding role that for almost 30 years she had her sights set on. “I’m a people person. Even when I worked in law as a floating secretary, I was someone people liked working with.” Laura is smiling. She’s a natural nurturer who transitioned into counselling work, and later, hypnotherapy. All jobs that require emotional intelligence she says, which is fundamental to care work. After many years of thinking about it - and a couple of failed applications - she’s now moving into Parent and Child fostering. “I always wanted to be a foster parent, and I had tried twice before finding Anchor Foster Care.” “The first time was many years ago, in the ‘80s. I was working, and I had small children of my own. I hadn’t realised you couldn’t work when fostering. Also, at that time, you couldn’t participate in
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mother and baby fostering [as it was known then] when you had your own children at home.” “The second time I applied was just four years ago. I got to the panel stage but was turned down because I was too reliant on the income of my long-term lodgers. I learned afterwards that my application should never have been put forward, but they really wanted to work with me.” “Eventually I downsized my home and moved closer to my children. I’m now in the right position, and actually Anchor Foster Care has been excellent to deal with. Everyone I have had contact with really cares about their work. Even my third-party adjudicator said that about them during my application, which says a lot.” What moves someone to foster a parent and child? Laura pins her motivations on her experiences as a child, which led her to becoming a mum too early. Experiences that made her empathetic to anyone experiencing similar issues with no support. “I remember wishing my mum’s sister was my mum. She was the best. In comparison to my
