Fostering with your own children
For Daniella, talking to her own children and paving the way for fostering was really important in making them feel part of the process:
She said: “We were always open and honest with our children when we decided to speak to Team Fostering. We asked them about their thoughts of it, explained a little bit about foster care and we also followed the guidance quite early on so it didn’t feel out of the ordinary to our children before the foster children arrived.”
What fostering has been like for us
“Well we’ve gone from two children to four so it does feel chaotic at times, but we wouldn’t change it.
“Our older birth children have taken to it amazingly. And for us it’s been eye opening. It’s been everything that we wanted it to be and fulfilling.
“Sometimes it’s shocked you how much the children have just settled so well into our environment and become part of the family and it’s nice to see them smile at the end of the day.”
How Team Fostering have included the whole family
At Team Fostering, we know the whole family is a big part of the fostering journey so birth children are always welcomed at all activities and events.
Daniella said: “It’s the way that they include all the children for me, the birth children and foster children and all the events they do, the Team holiday.
“I do also feel like the support network is really great. The education network is something I wish my child had had outside of foster care during his difficulties at school so it’s great to know that they are there if our foster child had trouble like that in education. And it’s nice to have faces and human beings at the end of the phone that help you through your hardest parts.”
How are your own children benefitting from fostering?
Daniella said: “Our children didn’t know what foster care was. It’s opened their eyes and made their world a more inclusive place. It’s made them happier knowing each night that they’re making children happy and safe and it’s made us feel like we’ve done the right thing.”
Youngest son Eron said: “They’ve fitted in quite easily. The older one knows his way around now. The younger one has just started crawling so a bit more havoc around the house. I’ve enjoyed all of it really. My favourite moment is when we went camping with the babies.”
Eldest son Isaac said: “When I found out they were going to foster I thought it was alright, it wasn’t much different to mum’s old job. I like playing with them.”
Fostering alongside working
Having given up work to foster full time, Daniella acts as the main carer whilst Jonathan still works full time. He explains how he manages his role in fostering alongside this.
He said: “I still work full time so I did have some questions about how to balance work and life and foster care. So far, so good. I’ve got a really supportive partner who does the main bulk of the trips to family time and appointments. I’ll come home after work and weekends and pitch in at every available opportunity.
“I’ve met the social worker on our side a few times, we’ve been to a few events where I’ve met other carers, we have a support buddy. Everybody’s been so supportive it’s just made it a really easy transition into foster care.”
Would you like to find out more about fostering with your own children? Get in touch with us for a confidential chat on 0800 292 2003 or submit an online enquiry below.
