Meet Alison, a single carer who has been fostering for 7 years
It was her 10-year experience as an independent visitor for an 8-year-old child that spurred her on to eventually foster. Building that special relationship and watching that young person grow gave Alison a rewarding career which offered a natural transition to look after children in care full-time.
Alison explains: “My family and friends were so amazing, they encouraged me to go for it.”
She continues “Each child that I’ve fostered has taught me something about myself, they’ve taught me so much about how to help them. It’s also brought back my playfulness; I do lots of things with the children that I probably wouldn’t have done if I wasn’t fostering – they’ve enriched my life massively.”
“The smallest things are the most amazing, it’s not the big grand gestures, it’s the things we take ourselves for granted. When they send you a first birthday card, or when they make you a cup of tea, it’s all those little things that you know that they may struggle with at first and you can see you’ve made a difference for them.”
“As a single carer, I haven’t got an immediate wing man – but social workers and everyone at FCA are there for you. They are always at the end of the phone whatever time. And not forgetting other carers as well. We have carer groups that we can communicate with – there is lots of networking opportunities within the organisation.”
She concluded: “If anyone is looking to foster, I’d strongly recommend FCA as they have an all-round package; training, support, and networking –it’s second to none.”
If you've been thinking about fostering, then speak to one of our friendly advisors today and discover what it's like to foster with FCA.
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