Why I Work In Fostering
I can remember with absolute clarity the moment I realised that I would probably spend my working life with children — and more specifically, looked after children.
I was 16 and, for some reason, the night before a school talk I decided to speak about my life at home. My parents were foster carers, but it wasn’t something I spoke about much.
“You keep me safe, but you don’t make me happy”
Two girls of a similar age had been living with us for most of the previous year. They hated living with us — and nothing we did seemed to help.
Then one day one of them said, “you keep me safe, but you don’t make me happy.”
It knocked me sideways. In that moment I realised what mattered most: she didn’t feel safe. She felt lost, alone and terrified — moved to live with people she didn’t know, with no idea what would happen next.
Seeing fostering through a child’s eyes
That day made me understand the power of safety, consistency and relationships.
Children don’t arrive with a sense of belonging. It’s built slowly — through calm adults, dependable routines, and people who keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
Life in a fostering family
Fostering was the background noise of my childhood — children arriving, leaving, sometimes staying. Sometimes you’d come home from school and there would be a new face at the table.
Sometimes you’d hear children cry at night. Sometimes there were midnight trips to pick a child up from a police station.
It’s not always easy, but it’s always human.
Be part of something extraordinary
That experience helped me see how extraordinary foster carers can be — with resolve, dignity and patience.
Fostering changes lives. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small moments that last forever.
Thinking about fostering in Kent?
If you feel that spark — to open your home and heart to a child — start with a conversation. There’s no pressure just by enquiring.
Start your journey: https://homefindingandfostering.co.uk/starting-my-fostering-journey
Get in touch
Phone: 01622 765646
Email: duty@homefindingandfostering.co.uk
Or use our contact form: https://homefindingandfostering.co.uk/contact-us
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