A lifelong passion for helping children
For Steve, fostering wasn’t a sudden decision, it grew out of years of experience and passion for supporting young people. He explains, “I’d always been interested in supporting children, I’ve been a school governor for nearly 30 years,” and had also spent time teaching first aid.
When the opportunity came to retire early, he wanted to do something meaningful. “I just wanted something different, to put something back in that I could help people.”
For Steve, fostering became a natural way to take his experience and passion and turn it into a lasting, positive impact for children.
Finding the right agency and support
Steve approached fostering with care and research. He looked for an agency with strong credentials, explaining, “I looked to see what fostering agencies had really good Ofsted reports, and FCA at the time is the one that I decided to go with.”
Once the process began, he found the fostering assessment process thorough. “Our process probably took five or six months. There’s lots of interviews, lots of talking to people, lots of personal information, but it’s there for a purpose.”
What Steve found most valuable was the ongoing support. He describes FCA as “second to none,” with a strong sense of community: “We’re such a small unit, we’re like a little family, all the carers know everybody, we know all the staff.”
The training and guidance available also helped him grow into his role. “There is loads of training – everything you need. If there’s something you don’t know how to do, ask—and there’s training they can put you on it.”
Learning new approaches
One area that was initially new to Steve was therapeutic parenting. At first, he admits, “I didn’t understand that initially,” but over time he saw how it could make a real difference. “When you can see some of the approaches and strategies you can use—it worked for us.”
It’s a reminder that fostering doesn’t require knowing everything from the start. With the right guidance, you learn and grow alongside the children in your care.
Steve’s first foster experience was a particularly intense introduction to fostering. Two young brothers arrived, and just six days later, the country went into lockdown. “We were doing homeschooling, everyone was staying in the house, it was a difficult time,” he recalls.
Despite the challenges, the experience also allowed them to bond quickly. “We got to know each other really, really well… it was a baptism of fire, but it was really good for us.”
Those bonds have lasted. Six years on, the boys are still with Steve, and he emphasizes the importance of stability and continuity for children, especially keeping siblings together in foster care. “They need continuity. Continuity is so important. It’s a bad enough task being split up, but at least to have your brother or sister with you, it just gives you something else.”
He remembers clearly how important this was for the younger child: “The seven-year-old absolutely desperately needed his 11-year-old brother, he just wouldn’t be able to cope otherwise.”
Seeing children thrive
For Steve, the greatest reward is seeing the young people he has cared for grow and flourish. “I look at my 17-year-old young man, he’s 6’1, he’s into sport, he plays football, he’s going to go to university,” he says, reflecting on a child who arrived timid and unsure. “He came to me as a timid 11-year-old – didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He has blossomed and grown into the person that I think he always had the potential to have.”
It’s a powerful reminder that fostering isn’t just about the present—it’s about helping children build a brighter future.
Advice for anyone thinking about fostering
Steve encourages anyone interested in fostering to start exploring early. “If you’re interested in fostering, start looking now.
He reassures prospective foster parents that there are very few barriers. “Don’t feel that because you can’t do this or you haven’t got that, you can’t foster… there’s very, very few barriers.”
He also highlights the importance of male foster carers. “I would definitely encourage more male carers – some of the young people may need a positive male role model that they can look up to.”
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