Inspirational Foster Carers

A research paper published by the recently opened Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education, University of Oxford, has found that people are most often inspired to get into fostering through knowing or meeting an existing foster carer.

Other motivations for becoming a foster parent were loving children and wanting to make a difference to the lives of children, giving back to the community, and personal experiences of being fostered or growing up with fostered children.

The work our foster carers do inspires us at Family Fostercare on a daily basis. To open your arms and your home to someone else's child, to care for them with patience and sensitivity even when - perhaps especially when - that care seems at first to be unwanted, to keep on giving without seeking thanks or acknowledgement, to be there no matter what: fostering is an amazing thing to do, and the incredible people who do it are helping to improve many young lives. By inspiring others to take up fostering they are helping countless more.

So here's a big shout out to foster carers everywhere - Thank you for the work you do! Not only do you inspire us, but this research shows you are helping to inspire others to help improve young lives through fostering too.

Lastly for trivia fans, did you manage to make the link between this article and the picture? Well give yourself a big pat on the back if you recognised these famous inspirational foster carers, Mrs & Mrs Kent or better known as Superman's Earth parents!

The research also found that one of the reasons people who initially enquire about fosteriing but do not proceed is that "responses to enquiries are often insufficiently prompt". Family Fostercare pledges to respond to all new foster carer enquiries within 48hrs.