October is Sons and Daughters Month, The Fostering Network’s annual campaign to celebrate the vital contribution the children of foster parents make to foster care.
Each October, fostering services recognise the important role children and young people play in their home, making children in care feel happier and safer. Not only this but they play an essential part in welcoming children and young people in care into their families and are vital to successful fostering.
At FCA we are truly thankful to all our children who foster and really appreciate the time and care they show to the children who come to live within their families. We think you are all amazing!
We wanted to share some of the thoughts and feelings from two of our children from FCA Northern Ireland what it is like growing up in a fostering household. Come along to one of our fostering information events to discover more about the rewarding role of a foster parent.
My Mum and Step Dad have been fostering for almost 8 years now. As the only biological child in the home I have grown up seeing the foster children as my family. I was 12 years old when we decided to foster and I still remember our first placement. I remember looking at my Mum thinking “what have you both taken on”. But little did I know that with love and care this little child would become the sweetest, loving person that I still love to this day. This made me realise that fostering is such an important thing to do. We need to remember that the kids come from very difficult backgrounds and have sometimes experienced things we cannot even imagine. This made me want to be there for them through the good and bad times. We have had quite a few children since our first placement and every one of them have different qualities and I love learning about each of them individually. I honestly couldn’t imagine the house without them (even though it is absolute madness sometimes!!). I know it can be difficult for a lot of biological children to welcome new members into the family as there is always uncertainty, but I personally couldn’t picture our home without foster kids.
As it is Sons and Daughters month, I wanted to share some of the experiences I have had and shared over the last 15 years. My parents started to foster when I was just 6 years old, I am now turning 21 and looking back at the memories I had as a young child and even now I wouldn't want it any other way! I live in a loving, caring and busy home, being an only child I loved having company whether it was older or younger. I look back at all the amazing memories I have shared with so many different children. After doing this for a long time and now having reached adulthood myself, I can see how fostering has impacted my life in so many positive ways such as meeting so many new people and understanding how different and difficult their lives are. As I was at such a young age when my parents decided to foster I had a very different life to all of my friends and I don't remember it being any other way. There are only so many people out there that they can say have had so many brothers and sisters and memories to last a lifetime. Fostering has made me into the caring and understand person I am today and I wouldn't change it for the world.
Are you thinking of fostering?
Download the FCA’s complete beginner’s guide to fostering a child. Find out more on how to foster a child and the process involved.
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