Foster Care Stories
Tony and Joanne’s story
“It was quite life changing for us.”
As a not-for-profit fostering agency, Team Fostering invests significantly in experiences, activities and events for our children and young people because you only get one childhood and we want to make theirs count.
For two of Team Fostering’s foster cares, Tony and Joanne, making memories with one of the children they’ve recently looked after was particularly important.
With complex medical needs and having spent eight months in hospital because of a lack of foster carers able to care for him, restoring some of the simple joys of childhood was a big part of their time with him.
Bringing a child into the family
Joanne said: “He had a lot going on. Because of his situation he wasn’t used to going out and playing or mixing with other children.”
So Tony and Joanne focussed on integrating him into their family and giving him experiences they’d had with their children and grandchildren.
Tony said: “We’ve got eight grandchildren. They were able to play with him and game with him as well.
“That was where normality was pretty strongest. We were able to build a bond.”
Activities from Team Fostering
They also took the young person to activities provided by Team Fostering, the first of which was a trip to Gullivers Kingdom.
Tony said: “We went on that one occasion with Team and had a wonderful experience.
“From there we were able to arrange other visits and it became a regular thing for us. He beamed when he was there.
“He was a bit anxious but it was about giving him the confidence to go on rides and then he’d come off beaming and want to go back on it again and again.”
The rewards of fostering
Although things were sometimes challenging, seeing the enjoyment the young person got from these experiences was a big reward.
Tony said: “It makes you very proud that you’re doing something that is helping him. He had a number of setbacks in his life, he needed some wins and every time he had a win, we were encouraged and it made us want to look for the next one.”
The benefits of Team Fostering
Because of the young person’s medical needs, Team Fostering offered a lot of a support and made it possible to include him in activities and events wherever possible.
Joanne said: “Team have been very supportive all the way through. We had a lot of offers of help in different areas.
“Our Supervising Social Worker was immense. She was always at the end of the phone if we needed her.
“The way they embraced him at different events and knew that they would need to take those extra little steps was great.”
Making activities accessible to all children
One such example was an annual Team Fostering get together at Rother Valley where carers, staff and young people enjoy a water park activity, followed by a picnic. It’s one of many opportunities provided for carers and children to socialise with a great sense of community.
Joanne said: “He was never going to be able to do the water park. But what made it enjoyable is that we took a picnic. He loved time with adults, there were different carers there and Team Fostering Directors who spoke with him.
“He also wrote some songs and Team played them for other kids at the Christmas party which he loved.”
The next chapter
The young person Tony and Joanne supported was ultimately able to return to his birth parents after a set period of medical treatment. They explained what this was like.
They said: “It’s a great feeling. Our project was to get him back to mum and we feel really proud that we got him home. I think it’s a really big thing.
“It was quite life changing for us.”
Could you give a young person like this a childhood they’ll always remember? Enquire about becoming a foster carer with Team Fostering by giving us a call on 0800 292 2003 or complete an online enquiry below.