Foster Dad encourages others to consider fostering
Wednesday 17 June 2020
With people across England facing bleak employment prospects as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, one of our foster carers believes that more people should consider fostering in this time of uncertainty.
David has been fostering with us for seven years alongside his wife Julie. David is currently looking after two brothers, a 10-year-old, and a 15-year-old, on long-term basis, which means they will stay in the family until they can live independently as adults.
David, a father of six and grandfather to five, first considered fostering in 2004 when a friend of one of his sons wasn’t happy boarding at school so came to stay with the family during the week instead.
For four years, David and Julie provided respite care through a local boarding school offering other carers a break or to help look after children and young people in an emergency. In 2013, the couple submitted their applications to become full-time foster carers.
Speaking about the decision to take on fostering full-time, David said: “I was made redundant from my job at a computer firm and we decided that the time was right to think about fostering again. It was something we’d always spoken about doing once our children and grandchildren grew older and it felt like the right time to give it another go.
“Because of the positive experience we have had, we encouraged my sister in law to foster too. She now fosters with Five Rivers as well and is currently caring for two children who are younger in age than our two. Although they all come from different backgrounds, they share the same similarities of having experienced the care system, so it’s really nice when all of the children can spend time together.”
For more information on fostering, book a call with us or you can apply to foster here.