"You can be their anchor"

• Fostering Stories

Donna has been a foster carer for over 10 years.  For the first 5 years, Donna fostered with an agency but following significant investment at Liverpool, Donna moved across to benefit from the enhanced training and support we now offer.

“When I worked for the police, I became aware of the circumstances in which children come into care.  Learning about children’s stories was a real eye opener and it made me want to become a foster carer”

During Donna’s time fostering she has seen children progress and feel more safe, secure and happy because of the routine, consistency and stability Donna has been able to provide.

“To see them thrive and blossom and have a sense of self-worth, is one of the best things as a foster carer that you can experience”

Donna

“Routines, boundaries and consistency go such a long way to stabilising a child and bringing calmness.  You can be the anchor that allows them to feel free, have fun and be spontaneous, because they know that are coming back to that stability.  You can’t underestimate the power of being boring!”

“Over the 10 years, I’ve seen children change before my eyes.  When they start to take pride in their appearance and have control over what they wear, that’s lovely to see because they are developing their identity and sense of self.  Then the rest of their personality starts to come out, we can joke around and have a laugh, where it may not have been possible to do that in the past”

When you get the routine things covered and they feel secure, they start to really blossom and thrive and you start to see their little personalities come out.  It can start as small as them picking their own clothes and taking pride in their appearance, which then transpires into wanting to play football and participating more in class”

“Every day things that would see an adult completely crumble, our children have a way of amazing and astounding you with their resilience.  Some of the biggest challenges in life, they will take to like a duck to water, yet it can be the little things that will bring the challenges”

“My advice to any new foster carer would be to stay calm and know you’ve got this!  Have faith and belief in your skills and abilities”