Meet Jon- a long term foster carer for Barnsley. We asked Jon to tell us about fostering, in his own words. Here’s what he told us about fostering as a single person, the magic of seeing children in his care grow, and how he works together with birth families.
“I’m a long-term single foster carer, which means I look after the child or young person until they reach adulthood. Being a long-term foster carer is a bit different; all plans are medium to long term, such as building up skills for young people to grow up and achieve their ambitions and develop good relationships with their schools, as well as their family members where this is possible.
It’s great to see the change in the child in my care. I invest a lot of time in his hobbies – we go swimming and I take him to football training.”
“It’s challenging, just like the responsibility of caring for anybody, and you’ve got to enjoy spending time with people.
“Although I'm a ‘corporate parent’, to the kids I’m ‘just Jon’. This is how I’m often introduced by [the young people]! This helps reassure their family members that I’m not there to replace them, just to provide that care they need.
“You need to have a realistic expectation of the young person and put the hours in – I learn something new every day! We are currently learning how to play guitar together.
It’s important to support them to develop their own identity, and it’s great to see the change in them as they grow in confidence.”
Could you be a foster carer like Jon? Whether you’re new to fostering, or have been wondering about it for a while, you could provide the magic of care to Barnsley’s children. Find out more about foster carer with Fostering Barnsley by downloading our information guide, or booking a call back with our team.
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