There is no one type of person who can foster, and no single fostering journey. Foster carers come from different backgrounds and have different experiences.
They provide different types of care, but they all have one thing in common: they want to make a positive difference to a child’s life.
Nikki has been fostering with us for more than a year and currently cares for children aged up to 2.
Fostering wasn't something she originally expected to do until she and her husband were older. But after losing her dad, they began to look at life differently.
“We just said, you know, tomorrow’s not guaranteed,”
explains Nikki.
“So we applied to be foster carers and not wait.”
For Nikki, fostering has meant experiencing childhood milestones all over again from crawling and walking to seeing a child grow in confidence.
“It’s just like going through all those milestones again and just seeing the joy that they bring to you,”
she says.
Her advice to anyone considering fostering?
“Just go for it. Like you won’t regret it. It’s so rewarding.”
Hear more from Nikki.
Meanwhile, Debbie has fostered with Derbyshire for around 5 years. She provides short break care and care for children while longer-term plans are being made.
Alongside 3 placements lasting between 6 and 18 months, Debbie has welcomed many children for short breaks, including one child who stayed every weekend for around 15 months.
For Debbie, some of the most memorable moments are often the simple ones, such as seeing a child have their hair cut how they want it and suddenly walk down the street with greater confidence.
“Just to see their confidence and their beaming faces and the difference a simple haircut makes is really memorable,”
she says.
She also enjoys giving children opportunities to try new things and watching their confidence grow.
“They go from walking with their heads down to having their heads up,”
Debbie explains.
Hear more from Debbie.
And her own children are involved in family life with foster children too, helping them learn about being caring, tolerant and inclusive.
Councillor Paul Maginnis, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:
“Our foster carers give children the stability, care and support they need to thrive.
“There is no typical foster carer – what matters is having the care and commitment to support a child.
“I hope these stories inspire more people to find out about fostering and discover how they too could make a difference.”
Foster carers receive training, guidance and ongoing support to help them make a difference to a child’s life.
To find out more about fostering visit Foster for East Midlands.