"To anyone considering fostering I would say definitely do it!"
Janet and Brian's fostering story
Janet and Brian have been Foster Carers with Swiis since 2010. Janet spoke to us about her fostering story.
Their fostering journey in numbers
“It’s lovely hearing that our foster children really appreciate what you do for them and they tell us they know they would never have had these opportunities if it wasn’t for us. ”
“Me and my husband, Brian, had spoken about fostering many times in the past but with his job taking him away often and my mother needing a lot of care at that point, it wasn’t the right time. Then, when my mum went into a home, my husband moved job and my youngest son moved out, we knew it was the right time and were excited to start our fostering journey.
Before becoming a foster carer, I worked with social services looking after children who had been badly neglected by their parents. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there were so many people not able to look after their children so I decided that fostering would be my way of making a difference.
Luckily all my friends and family were hugely supportive of our decision to foster. My son and his partner live next door so they are fantastic with helping and look after the children when we need it.
We have two boys aged 17 and 18 who have been with us for 7 years now. It’s lovely hearing that they really appreciate what you do for them and they tell us they know they would never have had these opportunities if it wasn’t for us. The two boys we have couldn’t read and didn’t go to school when they came to us age 10 and 11 but now they have both done incredibly well at school and are thinking about university options! They also had no confidence but have completely flourished over the years with our care and support. Brian recently received a very heartfelt and loving Father’s Day card from the boys.
To anyone considering fostering I would say definitely do it! If you think you might not be able to do it, give it a go and you might be surprised!”
Start Your Fostering Journey
With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.
Refer a Friend
Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?
