Transform lives and be a force for good

During Foster Care Fortnight, we hear from husband and wife foster carers about the many positive aspects of the role.

Sue Dawson and her husband Dave live in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire with their two teenage children, Emma and Sam. They have been foster carers for 8 years and in that time have fostered babies, children and young people, in some cases for a few months and for one child, for several years.

Sue trained as a medical secretary and worked in the NHS and Children’s Services and Dave is an IT Project Manager, working from home and travelling to London one or two days a week. It was her daughter Emma, who first suggested Sue and Dave should become foster carers, after Emma became friends with children at school who had been fostered. Sue and Dave are both approved foster carers and initially began as respite carers, providing one-off care and supporting other foster carers, until becoming long term carers themselves.

Sue says;

“The most rewarding part of being a foster carer is having the opportunity to transform a child’s life. Through the love, support and encouragement you provide, to see a child thrive and respond in a positive way, is just brilliant! I have learnt so much from the children I’ve fostered – they have taught me not to take anything for granted, particularly home life.

Sue goes onto say;

“It can be hard work at times but the support Dave and I receive from our local authority Social Workers is amazing. They have helped me to grow and develop as a person and ensured the skills I have learnt give me the confidence to be the best I can be in my role. I have enrolled on several courses which have helped ensure I’ve kept developing as a foster carer and have given me lots of new and fresh ideas”.

Sue’s final piece of advice as a foster carer is to;

“always be positive and fair to the children in your care and ensure you’re realistic and honest with yourself”.

Since becoming a carer with Foster4, Sue has attended several Information Sessions and spoken about what being a foster carer is like to people interested in taking on the role for themselves. Sue and Dave’s advice for those thinking of becoming a carer is to complete the Expression of Interest and application forms and to attend the Skills to Foster training course, which gives all the basics you need to know about becoming a registered foster carer and helps ensure it’s the role for you.

Currently, Foster4’s information sessions and training is being done remotely and we have a worker on duty each day to answer your calls and questions, who can guide you through the process via email and telephone.

If you’d like to find out more, discuss things further, or are ready to take the next step, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: Email fosteringrecruitment@warrington.gov.uk or call on 01925 938925.