Sitting on the floor at the top of the supermarket escalator, I waited patiently as Michael*, nine, screamed and thrashed about, having a full-blown tantrum.
I tried to ignore the stares of passing shoppers, who were confused as to why I wasn’t attempting to control his behaviour. I knew what they were thinking – that he looked too old to be carrying on like that – but they didn’t know his background or the trauma he’d suffered.
As his foster carer, it was my job to be a calming presence and guide Michael through his overwhelming emotions, without judgement.
Michael is just one of the 60 children I’ve cared for over the last 16 years and, while it isn’t without its challenges, fostering is incredibly rewarding.
I was a police officer when I met my firefighter husband Paul while out on a job. We soon settled down in the Lake District and got married. We’d always wanted children, and wasted no time starting a family.
Our daughter Georgina was born in 2001, followed by Leonie in 2003. It was when the girls were just five and two that we made the life-changing decision to open up our home and our hearts to other children in need.
Fostering had always appealed to us, but it actually came about by accident. Through my job, I often worked with vulnerable people and was always more interested in helping them, rather than dealing with punishing offenders.
One day, while at a meeting with other agencies, I heard about a family in desperate need of support, and felt compelled to act.
‘If you’re ever stuck, give us a shout,’ I said casually to Shirley, a social worker, afterwards.
この記事は WOMAN'S OWN の March 28, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は WOMAN'S OWN の March 28, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on the gender gap, cats and timed hugs
Check out CHICAGO
With a spectacular skyline, sandy beaches and great food, the Windy City is calling, says Zoe West
LET'S EMBRACE OUR CHRISTMAS TAT!
Becky Dickinson explains why she'll still be rocking around her tinsel-strewn tree this year
BURIED SECRETS
We look at the shocking cases of celebrities posthumously accused of being sexual predators-and how they got away with it
FESTIVE NO-BAKES
Pop on the Christmas tunes and whip up a batch of these easy sweet treats
PROTECT YOUR SMILE
Are you doing enough to look after your teeth and gums?
'TIS THE SEASON TO SHINE!
At last, Hayley McCrossan, 39, feels fit and healthy
FOR THE LOVE OF TOM
When Deborah Mitchell, 57, lost her son, she vowed to help other families facing the same heartbreak
THE NURSE WHO LEFT MY GRANDAD FOR DEAD belict
Rachael Fealey, 31, had one question for the woman who killed her beloved Grampa - how could you?
Coleen's MONEY WORRIES
What are the reasons behind her financial and marriage fears?