“Moving children onto adoption is a challenge as you build up such a bond fostering a child but seeing them safe and secure, is such a good feeling”.
For Cheryl Cousins from Canvey Island, the lockdown gave her more time with her husband, Gary, and their two foster children. The couple, both aged 52, have been providing short-term, long term, respite and emergency care for 9 years now. In that time they have cared for 25 young people with ages ranging from teenagers to new-borns that they have collected from the hospital.
“I absolutely love fostering. I love just letting them be children and watching them bloom! Knowing that we have made a difference to children’s lives, even if it’s a small difference, is very rewarding.
“Moving children on to adoption is a challenge as you build up such a bond fostering a child but seeing them safe and secure, is such a good feeling.. Our social worker is always on hand to give support and guidance though. And talking to other fosters carers is also invaluable as they have probably gone through most scenarios”.
As lockdown eases, Essex County Council are stepping up their calls for more foster carers to help transform the lives of young people across the county.
Foster carers can be single, married, from a same-sex family or retired. There is an active network of support groups providing opportunities to meet and learn from other foster carers with many going on to make long-term friendships. Essex County Council offer high-quality bespoke local training to all foster carers and provide ongoing support.
Cllr Louise McKinlay, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Essex County Council, said: “Our foster carers help build better, brighter futures for hundreds of children across Essex every year. In 2020, 500 children are predicted to come into care, so Essex County Council needs your help. We desperately need more people, like Cheryl and Gary, to foster on a full and part-time basis for either short or long-term placements”.
Cheryl and her husband currently have a 2-year-old girl in their care, who has been with the couple since November 2019. They also have a 15-year-old boy who has been with them since he was 9 years old and was their very first placement.
Prior to fostering Cheryl worked in a primary school environment for 9 years with a high intake of children who were under Local Authority Care. It was that experience which prompted her to consider fostering.
“It really opened my eyes to what some children go through. Not all children have the happy childhood that my own children had. Some came from very chaotic homes and they knew no different.
Seeing this, I was positive that my husband and I could make a real difference to their lives. By giving them a stable, secure and loving home, it would hopefully enable them to see a happy future life ahead”.
Find out more by visiting www.essexadoptionandfostering.co.uk/fostering. The phone line is also still open: 0800 801 530. We have online information events where you can ask any questions and speak with existing foster carers to find out more, here.