Meet Nicola and Steve- they have five birth children and have been fostering for Barnsley Council for 11 years. In that time the family has fostered 10 newborn babies, as well as providing emergency and respite care for children of all ages. Here Nicola and Steve talk, in their own words, about how they got into fostering and the magic of being a Barnsley fostering family.
Their fostering journey began after Nicola’s mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s:
“We started doing care in the community for other older people, such as inviting them to have Sunday lunch with us. I phoned Barnsley Council to inquire what other charity work might be available for older people, and the conversation moved on to fostering.”
“We had experience in caring for children – as well as our own, we were both secondary school teachers and had also provided annual respite accommodation for children from Chernobyl.”
“We thought we wouldn’t be able to foster as we were both still working, but we started with providing respite care on occasions, from Thursday to Monday. Then when Steve retired, we began doing full time short-term placements.”
“What fostering does for your own children is massive. Our children are really appreciative of everything they’ve got and are nurturing and loving. They love to get involved with the babies in our care and make them part of the family. We all put the work in to create that sibling bond – just like when a biological brother or sister comes along.”
“They help out with feeding and changing so it’s given them some great life skills – in fact, all of our older kids now work with children, including teaching and supporting children in care.”
Feeling inspired by Nicola and Steve’s story? You too could become one of our foster families, creating magical experiences for local children in care. Download our information pack to learn more and book a call back with our friendly fostering team.
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