Forever Family – a birth child’s story
What would it be like to wake up one day and find your parents want to foster a stranger – a child from a difficult background? Someone you know nothing about?
It’s a huge challenge for birth children to welcome another child that may have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse. Their contribution should be recognised and celebrated.
Ruby Macey is one of those inspiring children, and she has written an honest account of her own experiences which is soon to be published as a book, Forever Family.
At 17 years-old Ruby will be a published author, thanks to a project called ‘Fixers’ which promotes young people’s stories of care. Forever Family will be published online and in print, and will be used by Five Rivers as a useful resource to help families new to fostering.
We would like to congratulate Ruby and her parents Maxine and Nigel. Together they have not only turned around the lives of two of our children placed in their care, but will enable many others to be helped.
Ruby says,
“There was so little information available to me when I was new to fostering. I hope my book will help other children understand what it’s like and show the positive aspects of being able to provide a ‘forever family’ to foster brothers and sisters”
Ruby’s story represents one of many birth children who foster through Five Rivers. With training, emotional and psychological support we enable families to become foster carers. All our looked after young people and birth children are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities for self-development and creativity through our Participation programme, which connects them to projects like Fixers.