South Gloucestershire Council Foster Carer, Sandra, recently hit a massive milestone with a decade of fostering under her belt. We caught up with her to hear her story to honour the impact she’s had in children’s lives over the years.
“Being able to support and nurture children at a time in their lives that can prove to be most stressful and cause them anxiety”
Sandra, south gloucestershire council foster carer
Why did you get into foster care?
“I had been interested in becoming a Foster Carer for sometime, I wanted to support young children and so I reached out to the Fostering Placement Team, because my own children were now late teenagers, and I wanted to continue to nurture young children to. I had a significant loss in my life and after that time, I decided I wanted to take this path and focus fully on Share the Care Fostering Support/Respite.”
How has fostering changed over the ten years you’ve been a foster carer?
“I have found that access to information regarding fostering and your role as a foster carer and training courses, has become so wonderfully accessible, both face to face and as online training, to complete statutory/bonus courses of your choosing relevant to your foster carer role.
“Also, support has continued to be very accessible from the Fostering Placement team and Supervisors. There is a strong person-centred approach putting each child’s needs first. I find that the core of being a foster carer remains the same after 10 years of fostering, and that is to care for, support and protect the children.”
What are the most rewarding aspects of fostering?
“Being able to support and nurture children at a time in their lives that can prove to be most stressful and cause them anxiety, is what keeps me going to help them. Those moments they are filled with joy and happiness, and me giving quality time is what I love the most.”
What advice would you give a new foster carer or someone thinking about fostering?
“To reach out to the Fostering Placement Team and consider the pros and cons of what will be required of you as a Foster Carer, and if you still feel that pull to care for a child that no doubt will need your support and care, then go for it.”
What makes a good foster carer?
“A good foster carer is a person with a caring and nurturing nature, with patience and understanding and someone who would like to protect and care for children. To be able to embrace challenges and provide help to overcome them to.”
Describe your most memorable moment in fostering
“Watching a particular child grow over the years that started out with high levels of anxiety and stress, to overcome this to a level that is now manageable and has given them a better quality of life.”
Interested in starting your fostering journey?
Get in touch with one of our experienced, friendly team to discuss your potential future as a foster carer…