Annette and Gerry’s fostering story
Annette and her husband, Gerry, have been fostering since 2020. Together, they have three children of their own two daughters and a son and our proud grandparents to four grandsons. Before becoming a foster parent, Annette spent 16 years working in a residential home supporting adults with learning disabilities, where she was a deputy manager. Today, her life centres around caring for her foster children and her grandchildren which she finds incredibly rewarding.
Why foster?
Annette tells us what made her consider fostering “I think I always wanted to be a mum. I come from a big family of ten children, and I’m the fourth eldest, so having a busy household felt natural to me. After having my own children, I still found myself talking about fostering. I always thought that if I had the space and a spare bedroom, I’d love to do it. I admired people who fostered, I just thought it was brilliant.”
“I never had the fear of ‘how would I give them back?’ If you do a good job, you know that’s part of the role, and you’ve helped a child. When our eldest eventually moved out, we had a spare room. One evening, while my youngest daughter and I were having dinner, she said, “Mammy, all my life I’ve heard you and Daddy talk about fostering. Now we’ve got a spare room what’s stopping you?”
That very night whilst scrolling through Facebook we saw an advert for FCA and clicked on it, that’s how it all started.”
For their family, fostering wasn’t a huge shock. “I was a bit nervous at the start, because you never know what challenges you’re going to face,” Annette explains. But their children and wider family were supportive. In fact, fostering runs in the family as Gerry’s brother and his wife are also foster parents, so it wasn’t a big surprise that Annette and Gerry were taking the step themselves.
One particularly heart-warming story involves a pair of twin boys. FCA called to match one of the twins with Annette and Gerry, while the other had already been matched with Annette’s cousin, who also fosters with FCA. At the time, Annette didn’t realise it was her cousin, though she recognised the family name. Although the cousins had never met and didn’t know they were both fostering with FCA, everything became clear once the connection was made. The boys were then able to meet regularly and form a strong bond. “It’s really brilliant,” Annette says. “My cousin is like a sister now.”
Best fostering moments
“When I think about some of my best fostering moments, our first foster child will always have a special place in my heart. Being our first, he made a huge impression on us.” Annette explains.
“It’s the same with our little girl we have living with us now, watching her grow in confidence, seeing her feel safe enough to be herself, is incredible and that makes everything worthwhile.”
For me, the best moments are seeing the children blossom, seeing their confidence grow, and knowing they feel safe enough to just be themselves. When a child can truly be themselves, without having to put on a front, you know they’re content and happy. That’s what fostering is all about.
Support from FCA
Annette describes the support she has received from FCA as “amazing and outstanding.” She speaks very highly of her supervising social worker, who she feels she can confide in without judgment, gives her the space to express her feelings openly and she is always available if needed.
“She’s one of the best social workers, she should be cloned,” Annette says.
Suming up her fostering experience
When Annette reflects on her fostering journey, she describes it as interesting and challenging but above all, it’s the best thing she has ever done.
“I would have loved to do it years ago,” she says, “but at the time we just didn’t have the space. We didn’t have a spare bedroom.” Even so, she has no doubts that fostering came into her life at exactly the right moment.
For Annette, fostering has been incredibly rewarding, she has formed strong friendships and become part of a close-knit community of fellow foster parents. One of her favourite parts of fostering is the monthly support group, which she looks forward. She values the opportunity to share experiences, learn from others, and gain fresh perspectives. Hearing how other foster parents approach similar challenges has helped her think differently and broaden her understanding. “It really opens your mind,” she explains. Ultimately, while the impact on the children is what matters most, Annette says the friendships, family connects and support she’s found through fostering and through FCA have been truly amazing.
What would your advice be to new foster parents?
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from fostering is not to take things personally. Children who come into your home might say some of the worst things imaginable. Often, they simply don’t know how to express how they’re feeling. It’s important to separate yourself from it, even though it can feel very personal in the moment. I genuinely enjoy fostering. One thing I’d say to anyone considering it is: absolutely go to the support groups. Honestly, it makes everything so much easier. You learn so much and knowing you’re not alone makes a huge difference.”
Get in touch today
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