Foster parents Helen and Martin Cornwall have one child of their own, and have been fostering for almost 10 years. They have fostered children of all ages, but these days specialise in teenagers, some of whom are asylum seekers who have traumatic stories to tell of their experiences.
Martin said: “We wanted to foster to give something back to the community. Fostering teenagers is generally a lot easier than fostering babies. Teenagers get themselves ready for school, for instance, but younger children need a lot more care.”
His advice to anyone who is thinking about fostering is this: “Do it. We’ve had a great experience. It’s so rewarding. Clearly it is not easy, looking after any child is not easy, but you don’t have to have had a child to foster.”