This week we chat to James and Lydia about their experiences as foster carers and how James's employer AMEX have supported him through the fostering assessment process and beyond.
James and Lydia have been fostering since June 2016 with us at Brighton and Hove City Council.
What made you want to be foster carers?
James: Lydia and I both lived in busy households growing up and we both wanted to provide a safe haven for children going through difficult experiences.
This week we spoke to Sarah and Matt who have their own son and daughter, have been fostering for 13 years and have fostered over 20 children over the years.
What makes this family even more extraordinary is that Sarah and Matt foster a brother and sister and their other sister is fostered by Matt’s mother in the house next door.
We've been chatting to our foster carers to get their view on the key things to consider if you're interested in fostering.
Do you love children?
As a foster carer, you’ll need to love spending time with children and also understand and be interested in child behaviour. You might have a child with emotional or behavioural challenges and so you’ll need to be prepared to support them during difficult times.
Is the time right?
The duration of fostering placements vary for every child. They can range from short term or emergency placements lasting a few days, to longer term placements lasting years. Children may need foster care from the moment they are born, and some children stay in care up to the age of 18 and beyond. Some children may return to their birth families, others may be fostered until they are ready to live independently and others may move onto adoption.
We speak to two of our foster families to get their view on how fostering has impacted their lives.
Cat and her husband Paul have fostered with Brighton and Hove City Council for over 8 years and have two sons now aged 18 and 20.
Cat has had 6 foster children over the 8 years and currently has a 17 year old girl living with her family.
Why did you decide to foster in the first place?