Carers' stories

Richard's story

Richard was approved as a foster carer for Southwark in November 2011 and since then has looked after two children.

"I'd thought about fostering long before taking the plunge but it was a combination of two things that really spurred me into speaking to Southwark. Having worked with children for the past thirteen years, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them and had always wanted children of my own. In addition, being single meant that I had enough room in my flat to open up my home to a child. After speaking to other foster carers and understanding the amazing work and incredibly important role they play for children, I decided to take the plunge. 

Even small achievements can be incredibly rewarding

My first child, aged six, arrived within one week of being approved. Through fostering, I was able to expose him to new and exciting experiences and I quickly learnt what a difference I could make to his life. Even small achievements such as hearing him reading signs on the tube when he couldn't even pronounce the whole alphabet when he was placed with me has been incredibly rewarding, knowing that I've helped him to learn and grow. Fostering has also brought home to me the importance of routines, consistency and focusing on the positives.

Fostering hasn't all been smooth sailing and I've definitely faced some challenges along the way including feeling extremely embarrassed when he wreaked havoc in the supermarket and having to bite my tongue before calmly telling him that we needed to go back and return the item he'd shoplifted from a shop he'd momentarily disappeared into on our way home. But consistent boundaries and being prepared with snacks, games and plenty of tricks up my sleeve seem to have paid off and he's generally a little superstar now.

Ongoing training and support has helped me to feel confident

The induction and ongoing training from Southwark has provided me with the information and knowledge I needed and helped me to feel confident in my ability to foster a child. I've also been lucky to have been introduced to a number of other local foster carers, many who have become good friends. Having local carers who can support me, share their own experiences and understand where I'm coming from has been invaluable."

Page last updated: 30 June 2022