When you’re born into a safe and stable home it’s easy to forget that a lot of young people don’t have the same privilege.
Fostering helps to nurture and protect Barnet’s youth
There are parents who have the best intention of being there physically, emotionally and financially for their children. However, it’s simply not possible for them to accommodate to the level required for their impressionable young ones. This could be for many reasons such as drug and/or alcohol addiction, mental health conditions and/or financial limitations. Fostering gives a child the opportunity to have some home-life stability, which is crucial for their development – allowing them the opportunity to thrive as they get older.
Felicia, 16, describes what life was like before she came into care five years ago:
“My mother found it hard to look after both me and my sister. There was a lot of alcohol, drug abuse and violence in the house. This made me feel scared and upset sometimes. We had social workers and police coming to the house a lot and this didn’t always end well. You didn’t know what was going to happen and how people were going to react and stuff. I stayed home most days, and rarely went to school – school was far, and mum said this was as we didn’t have the money for me to travel in. This could sometimes happen for a while. After lots of years of police and social worker visits, we were placed in foster care.”
She shares how being in foster care has changed her life for the better:
“I have been living with Theresa and Jenny now for five years. I consider them family. They have done everything to make me feel at home. I like the feeling of knowing I’m safe and having people around I can talk to who will listen. The routine of meals, bedtime and school has become something I enjoy. My foster carers are great in the way they care for us, and they are always there for us, helping us with problems. I feel part of their family now too.”
If you’re interested in fostering, please call 0208 359 6274 or visit our Fostering page.
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