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Owen feels happy and confident in his foster home. He enjoys music, has passed his GCSE maths, joined his rugby team, and dreams about his future. In this interview, he shares his experiences, achievements, and reflections on life in foster care.
AN INTERVIEW WITH 'Owen'
Please tell us about you.
“I like a lot of different types of music from drill to ’70s.”
How did you feel when you first came to live with your foster carer?
“Nervous but excited.”
How do you feel now?
“Very happy.”
What is your favourite thing about living with your foster carer?
“It's homely and my foster carer is also funny.”
What is most important to you in life?
“Family.”
We’ve heard you recently passed your maths GCSE and made first team in rugby. Tell us what achievement you have been most proud of.
“I’m most proud of making the first team with Rugby.”
What are your dreams and aspirations?
“To do well in life.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“Happy with a wife, a career and children.”
Myth Five: You must be in a relationship to foster.
Your marital status is not a factor in becoming a foster carer. We have foster carers from different backgrounds, some are single carers, and others foster as a couple (whether married or living together, with or without children).
Myth Four: Teenagers in care are more difficult to foster than younger children.
This is not true. Fostering teenagers is similar to looking after every other teenager and often can be less challenging than caring for younger children.
Myth Two: You must be older.
You must be over 21 to become a foster carer but there is no upper age limit to foster and there is no age requirement to look after a teenager. What's important to us is that you have the time to dedicate to a young person.
There are often some myths that come with fostering teenagers
Myth Three: You cannot work whilst fostering teenagers.
You can still work whilst fostering although fostering will need to take priority. We would need to look into how many hours you work, your employer's flexibility and the ages of children you are fostering. Teenagers are generally more independent which would give you more flexibility to work.
Myth One: You must be experienced to foster teenagers.
You do not need to be an experienced carer to foster teenagers. We offer training and 24/7 specialist support from our Social Work team, so you feel confident enough to tackle anything. Fostered teenagers are at a fundamental stage of life, on the verge of independence, and your guidance and support can help them make the best transition into adulthood.
"We want children to achieve their potential, no matter where they come from or what challenges they meet along the way."
Nick Barnsby, Director
Enquire now!
Interested in becoming a foster carer? Complete the form below. One simple enquiry connects you to all our support.