Hear Vanessa, Parent and Child Foster Carer on BBC Breakfast

Our foster carer Vanessa, from Halton, spoke about her experiences of being a Parent and Child Foster Carer, live on BBC Breakfast Radio last week. You can catch up and have a listen to her interview here:

She’s done a sterling job of providing some real insight into the role, the highs and the lows, and ultimately how the feeling of seeing a young family succeed is like no other. We’ve highlighted some prominent quotes below.

‘It’s different to regular fostering… You’re giving all of your experience to the parent. You certainly have empathy for what that parent may have been through and why they are where they are. You have to have the ability to take a step back. You have to have the ability to stay positive. When things aren’t going right. Accept everything as it is, have no expectations, and just take one day at a time.’

‘Unfortunately, at first, a lot of the time, the parent doesn’t want to be here. They cant understand why they cant just go home with their baby. You have to make them feel welcome, once you break that barrier, and show them -I’m not here to watch you fail, I’m here to help you succeed.’

‘It’s usually a minimum of 12 weeks, maximum about 6 months. Of course you get attached. I get pictures and updates from the mums that have been with me, which is amazing.’

‘People say, don’t get too attached.. but you have to have an attachment, otherwise, they don’t know how to form attachments themselves. A lot of the mums haven’t had that attachment, so they don’t know what that bond is and what that trust is. So if you don’t get attached, they don’t learn that.’

‘Whilst you’re there to ‘teach’ them, you also become like a mother figure to them, someone they rely on and someone they can trust and look up to, and see, that this is how a family home should be.’

‘That day when that parent and that child leave your house to start their life together, the feeling you get from that is just…you’ve got this big massive grin on your face for days after.’

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us Vanessa.