Foster carer Liz, shares her experinece of fostering, how it fit in with her family and the lasting impact it has made on their lives;

Last summer I was approved to be a foster carer and left my teaching job. The assessment training and process was a positive experience - I found it therapeutic and reflective. It helped me think about my motivation and expectations around fostering and tested my interest and commitment.

I have 3 children of my own aged nearly 12 and 8 and 8 (twins). I have been a single parent for most of their lives. I love children. I love being a parent. I wanted to find a way to be at home with them and loved the idea of a bigger family.

I got approved in July 2017 and we waited in anticipation for a few months to be matched with our first placement. It was a 3 year old girl who ended up living with us for 9+ months.

We had an incredible year - a year of growth and change and transformation for all of us. So many memorable moments. We will always remember the evening she arrived. "Mummy does she talk?" asked my 7 year old. In fact she found her place in our family very quickly and over the weeks and months that followed she found her voice too.

Fostering has enabled me to be at home and be with my children. They have loved this and so have I. G became part of our family instantly and has taught us how to be a foster family and so much more. She showed us the wonderful girl she is and is becoming - resilient, loud, loving, playful, funny. We gave a lot and we got a lot back. She made us laugh and we loved her cheeky smile and strong adventurous spirit. We miss her. She will remain in our hearts always. She taught us all lots about sharing and caring and being patient and kind.

We all worked hard to love and support her - with her relationships, her friendships, her talking, her loving, her expressiveness and the simple things too like brushing her teeth, eating and playing. We included her in all that we did. She fitted in and loved our busy life - the days out, trips to the cinema, holidays, the school run, family meals, celebrating each other’s achievements, cooking, the beach, trips to the park.

We have all flourished and our lives have changed forever. By the end of the placement she didn’t stop talking and asking questions; she found her voice, her confidence, her feet, her playfulness and she was so much fun to have around.

We will never forget her. We loved and cared for her and were incredibly protective of her. She has made a lasting impact on our lives and future. I’m now considering our next steps as a family. We have learnt so much and fundamentally realise that we have space in our lives to grow our family and want to do this. G made a huge impact and lasting impression on all of us. Fostering is an amazing experience which works for us in the most incredible way.

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If you think you have what it takes to foster, we'd love to hear from you. By joining our fostering community, you can make a huge difference to a child’s life. Call 01273 295444 to speak with a member of our friendly team Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, complete an online enquiry or e-mail us at fosteringrecruitment@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Alternatively, please join us at one of our upcoming information events. These informal sessions are a chance to meet experienced foster carers, understand the role of fostering and learn about the support you will receive.

Find out more about fostering by downloading our information booklet

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