Hello we are Jodie & Amy. We went into fostering 4 years ago when our birth daughter was 5. We were immediately drawn to fostering siblings. Keeping families together was what drove us to do what we do. We have had a crazy four years. Our first placement was two siblings, they couldn’t speak any English and they were struggling to settle in. Those first few months were a whirlwind of emotions, for us and for them.
All the training in the world can’t prepare you for that feeling of utter helplessness. Knowing that you can’t click your fingers and make everything better for these little ones is a tough pill to swallow. Especially as a parent.
Our birth daughter was so young when we started our fostering journey. In the beginning we questioned if we were making the right decision for our daughter. Four years on and she is a confident, caring, supportive young lady who loves her siblings dearly.
Over the last four years we have fostered 3 sets of siblings including one set of brothers who moved on to adoption. Before this, we knew nothing about adoption or the process of moving children on. Those few months were emotionally difficult for us all, especially our other children who had come to love the boys but they moved to a loving family who will give them the life they deserve.
We now have the three siblings who are long term and that is our blended family and it works so well.. We love fostering and it so nice to see the children thrive in our care. Our birth daughter loves having two brother and a sister they all get along great.
When Covid hit we had 5 children at home and by the end of lockdown we had 6!
Lockdown was filled by walks in the sun, home schooling, DIY projects, bike rides, arts and crafts and generally just making memories together. That’s what is so special about having lots of children in one family, regardless of how the children got here or what their story is. If you put the work in, eventually what you get back is something money just can’t buy!
We are part of Safebase Fostering Agency. The support and training we receive is second to none. We really are one big family. Our children love the staff at Safebase and enjoy spending time with them, especially when we attend the amazing activities.
Fostering is no walk in the park, it takes hard work, perseverance and a lot of tears but it’s the best decision we have ever made and we wouldn’t change it for the world.
