Hear from our foster carers
Jo's story
Jo explains how she and her family started their fostering journey. She explains the process of becoming a foster carer and the benefits of fostering with Calderdale.
Video transcript - Jo
Hi, I’m Jo Needler and I’ve been fostering for Calderdale for 12 years now, and had several children in my care.
I used to work for Calderdale (Council). The Calderdale screensaver kept coming up, ‘would you foster for Calderdale?’, and I thought yeah, why not. I’m asking people how to look after children, vulnerable children, so I thought why don’t I do it myself.
I picked up the phone and started the ball rolling. The process was really easy, the pick up the phone, we attended Skills To Foster, which was really useful for us. It helped us to decide as a family if we wanted
to foster, and then you just go through the Assessment process - I found it really reflective.
You’ve got a good idea of what it’s going to be like, but I don’t think you really do know fostering, and I don’t think anyone can tell you about fostering until you actually do it. Somebody is always on hand to help, through the Assessing Social Workers you can always ask questions, if you’re a bit unsure of how to fill in your form, or where to go with anything, what you’re supposed to do - there’s always somebody to give you an answer.
I love it, obviously, because I’m still here wearing the t-shirt! It’s really rewarding. It can be obviously challenging. Because we’re all in Calderdale, everybody knows everybody if that makes sense, so the process is much easier because we’re in one small borough.
Fostering for Calderdale, all the teams are all under one umbrella, so it’s much easier to get the ball rolling for different things, for meetings or anything, to coordinate things.
The relationship for me now, it’s more like we’re Mum and Dad to the children, because we’ve been in their lives for so long. You know, I’ve had one girl for 12 years, and she’s changed her name to us, and you know, she’s just our girl really, that’s how it is!
For anybody considering fostering, as a whole, I think that you as a family have to fully be on board with it because it does bring its challenges up, but it’s the best and most rewarding thing that you could ever do.
I think there’s nothing better really! So yeah, do it.
Karen's story
Karen describes how fostering has enabled her to make a difference to children and young people’s lives while giving her more time to spend with her son.
Video transcript - Karen
I’m Karen, and I’ve been fostering for about 10 years now. I used to be a Nanny, so I’ve always worked with children, and then I had my own son 14 years ago. I just decided I wanted to be around a little bit more for school pickup, so I wanted to do something to do with children, and I could be available for him as well.
I think I just saw an advert, maybe on a bus. I just rang up and then went to an information evening, and took it from there. I’ve looked after so many different children, on emergency and short term care. I try and just make everything comfortable and relaxed, because it’s a really big thing for them. For me, I’m sort of used to it, but for the children coming in, everything is new, everything is different.
I’m a single carer, and I manage to be busy and do everything and fit it all in and enjoy it ,so it is workable. I remember a 12 year old saying, the first time I said it was your bed time, he was like really shocked. He said ‘Nobody has ever said it’s your bedtime to me before’.
It’s different with each child. I’ve got a 20 year old that lives with me now that’s been with me 7 years and he calls me Mum. You know, he is like my own son. Some, you don’t get that relationship straight away and they don’t call you Mum, but you still love them all in the same way and usually they do become attached to you. Even in the midst of sometimes all of the chaos, you have still got that relationship, and they do trust you and know that you’ll meet their needs, and they’ve perhaps not had their needs met before.
Everyone says ‘I want to make a difference’, but you can see quite quickly that you do make a difference, and you do have a positive impact on their life, and a lot of the children I still keep in touch with and still see. It’s a hard job, it’s not easy, but it’s really really rewarding, and you definitely do make a difference, and if you enjoy being with children and looking after children then, there’s no better job really!
Hear from the children of our foster carers
Isabella and William
Isabella and William share their experience of becoming a foster family.
Video transcript - William and Isabella
We started (fostering) in 2018.
We got our first child on Halloween night.
It was very sudden, like, we went ‘trick or treating’ and then we came home to meet the child. You didn’t know if they’d be scared of you or how they would act.
It was also quite hard because it was during lockdown, so we had no school to have like a little break from. So it’s a lot easier now because when we go to school it’s a bit of a break.
I remember sitting down and just reading to a child for like hours because that’s the only way that they would communicate.
Find someone you can tell everything to, someone you trust, and like, you will struggle but you just need to talk, and, especially with your parents as well, talk about what they’re doing, how you’re struggling and stuff. Seeing them hopefully go on to a family that they will stay with and be happy and grow up with.
Charlie
In this heart-warming video, Charlie discusses his families’ fostering journey and shares his experience of being part of a fostering family.
Video transcript - Charlie
I’ve been part of a foster caring family for around 14 years.
We all kind of was sat around the table and the first thought was to look at my sister and see how that was.
It was new so we was all like yeah really excited to go. I didn’t really know what it was, I was still like 9 when it was described and stuff, so I was like yeah let’s just go for it y’know. Let’s try and make someone else’s life better. That’s all we’ve ever wanted to do, like it’s never been about anything else, it’s just about focusing just on bringing somebody else up y’know. We’ve all had it when we were younger why can’t somebody else experience exactly the same
It felt really natural going into the transition of like becoming foster fostering family.
I would recommend it to anybody right now anyway.
However, when you’ve had different experiences you have to be a strong family unit before adding something to your family unit. If one person’s out of that unit you need the three other people to step up
I wouldn’t ever disregard fostering just because you’re not sure.
So we’ve been fostering fourteen years. If you’d have asked me 12 years ago I would’ve said I would never recommend it to anybody.
If you asked me today, I would be like it’s the best thing you could ever do.
Whatever is being asked, whether it’s taxiing around whether it’s going to pick them up from the train station any anything I would just jump in just fill in tell my mum.
People say oh my job’s really rewarding but like this is seriously the most rewarding thing I think I’ve ever done.
I’ve learnt so much about life because you get so much empathy around people and it’s, it’s, yeah, I wouldn’t say no again.
I’m so glad we overcome it together rather than just like saying no. So like you have to, you have to you have to be ready for challenges.
More testimonials
My parents have been fostering since I was 2 years old. I won't lie and say it's been easy. From a young age, I've dealt with grief and loss when the children we nurture and learn to love, move on to their new families. However, even with the challenges, I know all of those children have felt loved and cared for and that will live with them forever. We did that! As a family we made them feel secure and happy and I wouldn't change it. Now I'm 18 I would hugely recommend fostering and I look forward to meeting the many more children my parents open their hearts to.
I love being a Foster family because I get to be a big brother over and over. I enjoy taking our new family members to the beach and teaching them how to play peek a boo.
Being part of a fostering family has given me skills I would never have known I needed. Resilience being the biggest one. We've cared for about 20+ children over the 16 years as a fostering family. The children are always met with love and understanding. I felt valued as a child of a foster carer because I used to attend the sons and daughters group where I felt I could "offload' any worries or concerns I had. Our fostering journey has been the biggest blessing, and one I would like to continue myself once the time is right.
Case study - Glenda Jeffrey
"Hi, my name is Glenda and I have fostered for Calderdale Council for 25 years. My initial interest in fostering was in all honesty sparked by my son wanting a child in residential care to sleep over for his 12th birthday party. Back in the day we were "police checked" before any sleepovers were allowed along with a meeting with the child’s social worker. In the discussion we somehow agreed to do weekend support care. Long story short my one weekend a month support care under "friends and family" became alternate weekends and summer holidays then when their education placement broke down, they stayed with us permanently and we became fully fledged foster carers.
My son and daughter grew up with me fostering and my daughter is a great source of support for me especially when I became a single Carer ten years ago.
Our reason for choosing to foster for Calderdale - well we started with them due to the child being placed with us on support care. We have always felt we received the support, training, and guidance we needed, so never considered moving to another agency.
We concentrated on teenage fostering for many years - short term often turning to long term. Twenty years ago, we made the decision to take a brother and sister aged 9 and 8 years. The 9 year old girl old was a feisty tom boy who was stubborn and fiercely defensive. Life wasn’t always easy with her, but we grew to understand her and her us. She stayed with us long term and worked so hard to achieve her goals. She didn’t find school easy but left with her GCSES. She Is now a prison officer and has been promoted to a dog handler. Living up the road, she is very much still part of our family, and I am immensely proud of her achievements.
Another young lady who I cared for over five years lives close by with her partner and three beautiful children. She is a wonderful mum which again fills me with pride. Fostering can truly break the generational cycle of chaotic living and improve life chances for our children and in turn their children.
Fostering hasn’t always been easy, and I’ve faced many challenges, but they’ve been overcome with support from the team around me - it’s all been worthwhile and I feel truly blessed to have been a foster carer for so many years and helped in some small way to change some children's lives. "
Case study - Jo and Craig Dye
"We chose to foster because we knew we have the time and patience to help children heal and thrive. I (Jo) also wanted to work from home so I could be there for my birth children before and after nursery. This seemed like a win win situation.
Back in 2007 when we were approved, things were looking to change within the service and for the better. We decided to go with our local authority because ultimately, they are the corporate parent and it made sense to us to work directly with them. Our decision has proven to be the right one, as for 16 years we have continued to be supported by Calderdale social care. Not only with our fostering journey but also with our personal journeys. Communication has always been great for us, and we've always had an offer of support instantly when needed.
Right now, in 2023 the perks of fostering with the LA are better than ever. We take full advantage of the free Calderdale sport membership, access to swim and gym and all classes available, no council tax to pay if you live in the Calderdale area. Membership to the Fostering and Families Together (FACT), with whom you can access support 24/7. FACT also organise family events which are fully enjoyed by me and our children. Calderdale also offer a buddy system to which I enjoy being a part of. Our birth children were supported with a children of foster carers support group, that meet monthly, and all children (10 +) have access to free child friendly training, this helps with their understanding of the fostering role and what a vital role they play in being foster siblings.
If you are looking to foster a child or children, then please get in touch with Calderdale Local Authority”.