0800 085 2225
Sandie & Ray’s Story
During their six years as carers, Sandie & Ray Jones have opened up their family home to provide, what FCA regards as ‘some of the very best care’ for looked after children.
With four birth children of their own, the couple sorely missed the noise and chaos created by their son and daughters once they had flown the nest. Both now in their 50’s, Sandie and Ray still have boundless amounts of energy and patience. But what really sets them apart is their sheer determination to bring about positive change to the lives of children and young people they care for.
Sandie, who came from a commercial background in sales and marketing, gave up her career to spend more time at home with her family. Since then she hasn’t looked back. The couple have enjoyed a new direction in life as foster carers that, in turn has given them an enormous sense of personal satisfaction.
“Ray and I are very much about family life. Once our children had left home we both felt our role as parents hadn’t really run its course. The option of fostering came about through a mutual friend whose positive experience had left a long and lasting impression on our minds,” Sandie explained.
“We were warned that things might not always run smoothly and certainly, we were under no illusion that it was going to be easy. I suppose you never really know what to expect being a foster carer and making that initial enquiry is the hardest step forward.
“To begin with it was quite difficult being a foster carer because I felt that I didn’t have the experience and skills to deal with the sometimes very challenging situations. But because of FCA, I always had people I could talk to, who were there for me and that was really important. Thanks to the support I received, I was able to take a positive approach and maintain placements, even when the chips were really down.
“As well as the team support, FCA also provided continuous training and carer support groups which meant that I could share my experiences with like minded individuals who were dealing with the same sorts of issues.”
Sandie adds: “Our family home is alive with children who are happy and full of life. Despite what life may have thrown at them, the foster children who come into our care are able to overcome many emotional hurdles and this is what makes fostering so rewarding.”
