Kathy

Kathy (64), from Chelmsford has been fostering for nine years and currently has an 11-year-old boy and two siblings aged 7 and 5 in her care. 

Kathy acknowledges that fostering has not always been plain sailing, saying that it isn’t for the faint hearted but for the open hearted. 

“Some challenges have made me question whether I could continue, but the resources and support network available through Essex County Council has enabled me to do so.

“My style of parenting, which has been adapted to reflect the trauma these children have experienced, may not be entirely understood by some wider family and friends. So it’s been incredibly important to have a support network of other foster carers around me. There is no judgement from them, and they can reassure me that I’m doing the right thing or nudge me in the right direction”.

Read Kathy's fostering blog to find out more about her experience of therapeutic fostering.