“As long as the kids thrive – that’s what matters.”

Watching Children Grow and Thrive

Today, Andrew and Mary are fostering two young brothers and a 17-year-old teenager, all of whom have become part of their family. Their daughter quickly embraced the boys as her own siblings. “They really idolise her and she loves that. It’s like they’re just her brothers now in her mind.”

Like many fostering families, their journey has included challenges. When the younger boy first arrived, he struggled with anger and communication. “When he first came to us, he had so much anger. That’s the way he used to communicate.” Over time, simple but consistent approaches—listening, presence, and routines—have helped him settle. “How we’ve actually dealt with that is just actually listening to him and just being present.”

Andrew and Mary celebrate both big and small milestones. “He’s come on leaps and bounds since moving schools, he wants to learn now. He sits down and he’s got a little bit more patience,” Andrew shares. “Every day there’s something, little things, but it all mounts up.”

Their focus has always been on providing stability and treating the children as part of the family. “They’re not here… just to be given an iPad. We’re parents. We treat them like our own.” The first placement was particularly challenging for Andrew and Mary, but it taught them about their own resilience. “It made me realise just how resilient I can be.”

FCA Support

Andrew and Mary have always felt well supported by FCA, particularly during challenging moments or out-of-hours situations. “I’ve never felt like we’ve been left to deal with stuff on our own,” Andrew says. He also values the guidance and relationship they have with their supervising social worker and the wider FCA team.

Andrew spoke about the training provided by FCA, noting that the courses have helped him build his understanding of therapeutic parenting and supporting children with complex needs. He also mentioned that the ongoing training sessions and support groups are useful for learning new approaches, staying informed about fostering topics, and connecting with other foster carers.

While the boys are currently going through the adoption process, Andrew acknowledges that saying goodbye will be emotional. “I’ll be happy for them, but it’ll be devastating.” Even so, they have no plans to stop fostering. “We’ve got no intentions of stopping… we’ll be straight back into it.”

Advice for anyone thinking about fostering

For anyone considering fostering, Andrew encourages careful thought and commitment. “I would recommend it, but you have to be serious about it.” He emphasises that fostering is both challenging and incredibly rewarding, offering the chance to make a lasting difference in a child’s life.

For Andrew, fostering is about giving children the stability and care they deserve. “As long as the kids thrive – that’s what matters.”

If you’ve been thinking about fostering, then speak to one of our friendly advisors today and discover what it’s like to foster with FCA.