Ugandan born couple give asylum youngsters safe place to live

Tom, a full-time foster carer, and his wife Lucy, who works in a care home, have been fostering for two years and in that time have provided a safe home for two young people seeking asylum in the UK.

Both Tom and Lucy were born in Uganda but have lived in the UK for over 25 years. A career in foster care was a natural progression for the couple, who both worked for an English language school for over 10 years, offering home stays to foreign students for a period of a few weeks up a year. This gave the students an opportunity to practice speaking English with host families like Tom and Lucy.

After being approved to foster in 2018, the couple now have two 16-year-old boys in their care, both of whom fled troubles in their home countries to seek asylum in the UK.

Explaining how the couple is able to identify with both boys, Tom said: “Having moved to a different country ourselves, we know how it feels to have to leave your home to live somewhere new. We can understand how strange everything can feel which helps us empathise with how they might be feeling.”

Tom intends to continue fostering for as long as he can. He said: “For me, the most rewarding thing about fostering is noticing the relationship that develops between us. If you show someone love, and they respond to that in a positive way, there’s no better experience.

For more information on foster care contact Five Rivers Child Care on 0345 266 0272 or visit www.five-rivers.org.