Northamptonshire mum who has fostered 84 children encourages others to take on this rewarding role

Foster carers provide children and young people with a loving, stable, and nurturing home when they cannot live with their birth families. Currently, more than 1,000 children and young people are in care in the region, and many could benefit from a family style home to live in. However, there simply aren’t enough foster carers, a growing issue across the UK.

One Northamptonshire mum, and former nurse, Hayley, has fostered 84 children over the last 18 years. During this time, she has adopted four children and with three foster children in her care, alongside her birth children there is a total of 11 children living in her home currently.

Hayley said fostering was a natural choice for her; she gravitated towards supporting children growing up, always looking after the little ones at family parties and wanting to babysit for them.

She added: “I guess I just always wanted to care for children.

“Growing up, my father had his own business, and I came across lots of families that were in crisis. wanted to be able to do something to help the children involved and be able to give them the positive life experiences that I was lucky enough to have as a child.”

Fortunately, Hayley’s husband shared the same view, and they decided to start the process to become foster carers when their own children were still very small.

Hayley would encourage anyone with even a slight inkling of interest in making a difference to a child or young person to consider fostering.

She said: “Absolutely get in touch with your local authority and talk to them about their fostering offer. There are so many myths about who can and can’t be a foster carer, when so many people could foster. There is such a shortage of foster carers currently in the region and across the country.”

Putting your skills to good use

Whilst people from all backgrounds can make great foster carers, it will be no surprise to learn that people who have worked in the care sector in roles such as nursing or residential care, healthcare and social care workers and those with any form of education background could find they are particularly aligned with fostering. Additionally, skills gained from roles within the armed forces, police, and prison service, are also desirable as these skills are highly transferable.

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust is keen to encourage anyone who may be able to utilise their existing skills to think about whether they could foster.

Many professionals who have experience working with children and young people can often make an easy transition to fostering, allowing them to use their skills in a different way to make a difference to a young person’s life. There is a common misconception that you cannot work while you foster, when in fact, there are some types of fostering that can be flexible around your circumstances and commitments.

A 2021 analysis by the Social Market Foundation predicted a shortage of 25,000 carers in England by 2026 making the need for foster carers more crucial than ever.

Having your own children should not hold you back

Hayley said that the impact of fostering on her own children has been very positive.

She said: “My eldest two children were just three and five years old when we first started fostering and my two youngest children were born into it, so they don’t really know any different. They are used to different children coming into our home and as they get older, they understand a bit more.

“I have to say with everything that comes with fostering, how my own birth children have been impacted by us fostering is probably my proudest achievement; they are kind, and empathetic and they understand the things that matter.”

Even when it comes to a child leaving their care, Hayley says the family will always talk a lot about their plans and focus on the positives. It’s lovely that so many of the children have stayed in touch, too.

Hayley expressed her intention to continue fostering for as long as she has the energy to do so. She shared that she couldn't be more positive about her fostering journey, noting that after being a carer for so long, it has almost become 'addictive' because she finds it so rewarding.

Find out more about fostering with your Local Authority

To find out more about your local authority fostering service or to access the information and support needed if you are thinking about fostering, please visit: northamptonshirefostering.com