People are surprised when I say I'm a foster carer

• Fostering Stories
• Tags: LGBTQ Fostering , Single foster carer

David has been fostering with us for a year, but he told us that sometimes people are surprised this is possible as a single, gay, male.

The reality is LGBTQ+ foster carers are changing children's lives in Liverpool every day.

What’s important is that you’re caring, compassionate and able to provide a safe, nurturing, supportive environment for a child or young person.

• “If you’re caring and you have love to show to a child who needs it, you can help a child at the hardest time in their life, by just showing them you care.” David

Soon after David was approved as a foster carer, he welcomed a teenage girl into his home.  He said although it was hard at first, after a week she felt more settled and understood that David was there help and make her as comfortable as possible.  David said "we got on like a house on fire in the end!  We've become like friends, but she understands there are boundaries." 

The Rewards of Fostering 

"You could offer a child the stability they need to settle down and do well in life.  It could be a teenager who’s in their last two years of school who needs that stability to do what they need to do and maybe go on to college or university.  Or, it could be a younger child who hasn’t been used to going to school – who you help get settled in school, then they’ll get used to doing that for the rest of their life."

Support

It took about 5 months from David's initial enquiry to welcoming a young person into his home.  He told us "During the assessment when I saw Caroline (my assessing social worker) it was more like seeing a friend.  My advice to anyone going through the process would be - just be an open book.  It's a chance to reflect on your life so far.  Sometimes it can be emotional but it's nothing to worry about." 

"Now there are times when I think to myself 'I don’t know what I’m doing here'.  No one expects you to have all the answers, and you’re never alone.  If I call my social worker, she always gets back to me within half an hour."

"It’s better than I thought it would be.  It’s not until you actually do it and you see the joy on their face or you see them happy that you sit there and go, I’m actually doing the right thing.  I’ve brought a bit of joy or safety to this child."