This month marks the celebration of Sons and Daughters month – an annual campaign launched by the Fostering Network to celebrate the vital contribution that the children of foster carers make to foster care.
Jennifer, one of our fabulous foster carers, talks to us about the positive change that fostering has had on her birth daughters’ childhood and overall family life.
Jennifer was working full time as a beauty consultant and was the mother to a young child, yet still always found time to care for others. So after seeing how easy her sister in law found the fostering application process, she was determined to help make a positive difference in young people’s lives.
Jennifer and her husband Simeon haven’t looked back and have since fostered 55 children in 18 years, including many mother and child placements.
This was not without their help of their wonderful daughter Samantha who was only 9 when the couple started fostering. Their first placement stands out to Jennifer in particular:
“Our daughter had always dreamt of having a sister. She was just 9-years-old when our first foster child arrived. She was also a nine-year old. Before I knew it, I had a set of twins. It was the sister she never had. It’s been lovely to see their relationship blossom over the years.”
Samantha and her former foster sibling, now both 27, continue to regularly meet up with their own sons in town now – testament to the strong relationship the pair have formed over the past 18 years.
Jennifer and Simeon’s family continues to grow, they currently have three foster children, a 3-year-old boy, and two girls, aged 5 and 12. They also have an 18-year-old boy living with them on a ‘staying put’ arrangement – enabling care leavers to remain with their former foster carers after they turn 18.
Talking about the many rewards that the couple get from being foster carers, Jennifer said: “The most rewarding part is watching the children grow, develop and become valuable individuals.
“The majority of the children we have fostered are grown up and have moved on, they still come to visit us. They know that our door is always open.”
To apply to be a foster carer you must be 21 years of age or older, have British citizenship, a spare room and a strong desire to nurture a child in care. We’ll help you with the whole process of applying to be a foster carer and are on hand to answer any questions you may have about fostering.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer and would like to learn more, then get in touch with our team today.