“Fostering meant I could have a new start in my life and get back time with my family. We get the opportunity to show our young people that they can change their path in life.”
“Fostering meant I could have a new start in my life and get back time with my family. We get the opportunity to show our young people that they can change their path in life.” Essex foster carers Stephen and Colin show how amazing fostering is.
As we celebrate and observe LGBTQ+ History Month, Essex County Council would like to encourage more people from the LGBTQ+ community to consider fostering when looking to grow their families.
Essex foster parents Stephen and Colin have highlighted the benefits of fostering and how life changing it has been for them. As well as the opportunity to change a child’s life, fostering offers flexibility so carers can spend more time with their families.
Stephen said, “I’d been working in management in the travel and tourism industry for 11 years, working long hours and travelling a lot, but when the world stopped due to Covid-19, my company offered me redundancy.
“Fostering has always been something we've been passionate about because we want to help young people, when we adopted our two children it reinforced that we were ready to foster, so when the redundancy was offered, we knew it was the right time and meant I could have a new start and get back time with my family.”
Essex County Council is urging more people to consider becoming foster carers. Our foster carers are from all walks of life whether they are from the LGBTQ+ community, single, married, or retired. There is a greater need for foster carers who can support children over 10 years old.
Stephen says, “It is often a myth that teenagers are more challenging to foster, and they can often arrive on our doorstep having experienced trauma, but you can also create longer lasting relationships with them. They often haven’t experienced a childhood.
“Fostering gives you the opportunity to show your foster children that even though they have been through some horrendous things, life doesn’t have to be like that. They can change their path with your support. We only hope that our foster children go on and recreate the family environment they’ve experienced in our home.
“One young person who came to us on an emergency placement recently said that they felt secure and safe for the first time in a long time. Hearing that melts my heart; it shows that we are doing good, and we’ve helped that young person in a small way.”
Essex foster carers are providing a safe and nurturing environment for young people across the county, but more are needed to keep up with the rise of children coming into care.
Anyone working full time or who can’t commit to full-time fostering but would like to support a young person, could consider supported lodgings. Often regarded as a rewarding alternative to fostering, supported lodgings carers offer a safe home where they give emotional and practical support for young people aged 16-18 to learn to live independently.
Cllr Beverley Egan, Cabinet Member for Children Services and Early Years at Essex County Council, said, “Our foster carers help build better, brighter futures for hundreds of young people across Essex every year by providing a stable and supportive home environment.
“We need more people, like Stephen and Colin, to join our valued team of foster carers. We offer flexibility and have some families who foster from as little as a weekend per month. We have a particular need for foster carers who can support children over 10 years old.
“Applications are welcomed from people from all walks of life. Supported lodgings can be a good alternative for people working full time, but equally as rewarding”.
Essex County Council offer all foster carers and supported lodgings carers high-quality bespoke local training with an active network of support groups providing opportunities to meet and learn from other carers. It also offers 24/7 local support, a dedicated social worker and access to a team of clinical psychologists.
Stephen said, “The entire process of becoming a foster carer was so simple. From the first phone call speaking with the advisors, to going to panel and then becoming a foster carer, it was a great experience. My husband was also able to join meetings because he was working from home, so we were able to do it together.”
Stephen and Colin want to encourage people in Essex, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community, who are looking for a new direction in their life to give Essex County Council a call and find out more information.
Stephen said, “If you’re thinking of fostering, just give the number a call, chat to the advisors, go to a virtual fostering event, and find out more information. It not only enriches your own life, but the lives of young people who need safety and security.
“Fostering has also allowed me to be available for my children and foster children. I have more freedom than I ever did in my previous role. I can go to school meetings if I need to. I can be there for the school drop offs and pickups. I am there for meals, to help with homework and put my children to bed. We spend so much more quality time with each other and that’s what is most important to me right now.
“It’s heart-warming to see our own children create these bonds with our foster children. We are all more understanding of different circumstances because of fostering.”
Find out more by visiting: https://www.essexadoptionandfostering.co.uk/fostering.
The phone line is also open: 0800 801 530.
Speak with foster carers like Stephen at one of our online events and find out more about fostering or visit: How to become a foster carer).