I am doing well in my life and enjoying life because foster carers didn’t give up on me
I went into care when I was eight years old and now I am 19 years old, working as a health care worker, looking after adults with learning difficulties, and feeling so good about the life I have and what I have achieved.
Foster care is a vital role for some children who are in need of this and there are so many reasons why children can come into care. Every child deserves a place to call home, adults who can support them, and an opportunity to succeed in their life.
Many foster carers I met changed my life and are still in my life now, even after I have left care. Knowing I have them by my side, that they are still there to offer support after all these years, means the world to me.
These foster carers stepped in to be the parental figures that I needed: they didn’t become my parents, but they took up the role, which was so important to me growing up. They showed me love and support.
It’s these little things that made such a difference. The stability, support, and guidance I received from my foster carers helped me grow and move towards independence. Now when I see some of them for dinner, I walk back in like I never left. They make me feel a part of their family, that I’m one of their children who has just grown up and left.
Placements can be tough - or sometimes they break down completely - but when foster carers support their foster children, and the young person lets their walls come down, then you begin to have a connection and build trust. The foster carers I still know 10 years on, didn’t give up on me, they stuck by me, and I couldn’t ask for more.
Knowing you have someone who you know will support you, and to have a place to call home when you haven’t had a home or a family before, is all you need as a foster child. You need love, stability, and most importantly? you need someone to be in your corner. That’s certainly what I needed, and it helped me to flourish.
I never really knew where I wanted to go with my life, but over the last couple of years, as I’ve got onto my own two feet, I’ve been drawn to health care. I feel I am giving something back to those who need support, like I did, and I feel as a foster care leaver I have more experience to relate to those I support now. I really love my job!
I am where I am today because of the support I received from my foster carers. I am doing well in my life and enjoying life because foster carers didn’t give up on me and they supported me through all my decisions.