Children of Foster Carers' Week, 13th to 19thOctober, is The Fostering Network’s annual campaign to celebrate the vital contribution the children of foster carers make to foster care.
East Riding foster family, the Duthie’s, share their experiences of fostering and the impact it has had on their biological children.
Wendy and Liam and their children, Dawson, age 9, and Delilah, age 7, have been a foster family for almost six years.
Delilah said: “If we are walking to school, I like pushing the pram and playing peek-a-boo. I’ve learnt that you can’t always think of yourself first, you’ve got to sometimes think of someone else and then think of yourself.
“It is sometimes challenging and sometimes you’ve got to go through a lot of smells! There’s a lot of responsibility in your hands.”
Dawson said: “I like making sure the children we look after have a nice, loving home. I like to go to the park and push them on the swing. I’ve learnt to treat people the same way you want to be treated.”
Liam said: “They have found it really rewarding - it’s opened our children’s eyes, and it’s been a benefit for them. Dawson and Delilah already think they’d like to foster when they’re older and carry it on.
“We get ongoing support from our social worker, and training which makes it enjoyable and educational for us as well.”
Wendy said: “They love It, and they’re always looking out for the children we foster. It’s made them much more aware of other people and other people’s feelings. They connect incredibly well with all the foster children. It’s been a benefit for them growing up, and it shapes them into who they are, and it makes us incredibly proud of who they are.
“We love it when our foster children move on and that they have that forever home, and have built new attachments with their new parents, siblings and families. They’ve been able to do that because we’ve enabled them to build attachments, and that is really rewarding.
“I’d encourage anyone considering fostering to speak to the council, ask the questions you’ve got, and from someone who fosters it is great to feel the goodness that comes from it and it’s extremely rewarding.”
There are different types of fostering - from vital emergency fostering for a few nights or short break fostering, to fostering while plans are made for the child's future, or long-term fostering for children who need to be looked after until they are adults.
People who foster for East Riding of Yorkshire Council receive comprehensive support including their own dedicated social worker to provide practical and emotional support, training and regular free social events. There are also local support groups available for foster carers to attend and help for existing children in the family to adapt to fostering.
Anyone who would like to find out more can get in touch with East Riding Fostering via:
Telephone: (01482) 394095
Email: fosteringrecruitment@eastriding.gov.uk
Search: www.eastriding.gov.uk/fostering
Facebook: East Riding Fostering
