Meet foster parent Jayne from FCA Thames Valley
Meet Jayne, who has been fostering for over 10 years with FCA Thames Valley and who currently has one young girl in her care.
She embarked on her fostering journey in 2012 when she wanted to continue her role as a full-time parent, with fostering providing the opportunity for a career looking after children and young people.
Speaking about her fostering journey, Jayne says: “As a whole, my fostering experience has been a rollercoaster. You never stop learning, every child that has come into my care has been different and brought something different to our family. It’s enabled me to not only meet amazing children, but other amazing foster parents throughout my journey and I’ve got such good friends out of it. I’m always learning which is helping me become a better person and parent too.”
“FCA give me huge support, I have access to a therapist, one-on-one supervision with a dedicated social worker, and a manager who is always happy to take calls and speak about any concerns.”
“We’ve recently had a complete update to our training which is fantastic. It’s based on individual needs, you follow a pathway which suits you.”
She continues: “There’s a great balance between online and face-to-face learning with a wide range of courses which are accessible and can be tailored to the child that is in your care. The learning never stops, it makes us better!”
So after 10 years of fostering, what’s her advice for welcoming a child?
“My top tip for welcoming a new child into your home is to relax, take a step back and imagine how everyone is feeling. Another good tip would be to try and cook their favourite meal to help them feel settled.”
Talking about her best fostering moment, she recalls: “It has been seeing children achieve when they haven’t thought they could. Whether it’s a ballet exam, educational exam, or travelling, it can be such a simple thing, but when you see it in their eyes - it’s magical!”
When asked what her advice would be to those thinking of fostering, she replied: “If you are considering fostering, go and talk to someone, and go in with your eyes wide open. It may not be what you think it’s going to be, it’s likely to be a lot better! You need to be aware that it can be a complex job, and you need to have expectations that it’s not a Disney movie…but it can be at times Disney magic.
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.
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