Amanda and Ryan
“The support from Beams is crucial and we get it when we need it, it’s that simple”.
Amanda and Ryan started to foster in 2018. Both had considered fostering for some time and they explored various agencies before finally deciding to contact Beams Foster Care Family Services.
“We liked the values of the agency, it was small, more personal and had a family focused feel to it”. We love the fact that everyone knows us, the support and care is consistent”.
Amanda & Ryan really enjoyed the assessment process and the training course ‘Skills to Foster’, which helped prepare them for their journey. Having the opportunity to speak with an experienced foster carer inspired and motivated them further. They felt this was the start of a working relationship with an agency who understood and really cared about the children and the carers.
“That’s why it works for us, the support is crucial, and we get it when we need it, it’s that simple”.
“We have always felt part of the professional team, included in the team around any child we care for, our views matter, and we feel that both in good and more challenging times”.
“We are busy, but we care”.
We have 2 children of our own and it is just as important they are listened to and valued as part of the fostering family. Children that foster can make a real difference also. We are proof that being parents to our children and foster carers to 3 girls can, and does work. We are organised with our time and strike a balance, caring for 5 children in total. Our children like having us both at home and available to them when they need it. They now get more quality time with us. Our children are more empathetic towards others that have had a less fortunate start in their lives, we believe this to be a good quality, something we are proud of.
“Part of our life forever”
The sibling group we care for just is the perfect match to our family and our children, it works, they will be part of our life forever. Beams know us so well, they managed to find us the right extended family members. Last Christmas we really noticed the three children we care for were so much part of our celebrations it felt just like any other family.
My advice to anyone thinking about fostering is trust. Firstly trust in yourself, trust in the process, trust in your social worker that is allocated to support you, trust that you can make a child’s life better. We trust our agency and they trust us. We’ve not regretting making a difference each and every single day. We continue to enjoy our experiences and would always highly recommend Beams, even my own parents now foster for Beams, we’re one big family.
Pat and Mick
“Fostering has been our life for 30 years”!
Pat and Mick have been foster carers for 30 years, fostering well over 100 children. They started their fostering journey with a local authority when they lived in London before transferring to a private fostering agency. In 2017 they decided to transfer to Beams Foster Care Family Services, where they continue to foster today.
“We liked the fact that Beams was small, local and we know all the staff and they know us. The transfer process was quick and easy, and did not affect us fostering the children we were caring for at that time”.
Fostering has changed our life, in fact it’s been our life. We’ve cared for so many different children, many of whom have kept in touch with us right up until adult life. We are now getting to know the children we fostered as adults and their children. It’s so rewarding to see how so many have become great parents themselves, this is the real sense of achievement.
“You made me the mum I am today”.
On Mother’s day 2023, I received so many cards and gifts not only from the three girls that I care for today but from lots of other children from the past. One young adult we fostered from the age of 3 – 23 wrote a testimonial on social media thanking us for all we had done for her: “You made me the mum I am today”. We were touched by her kind words.
This is what fostering has always been about for us, being able to make a difference to the children’s life. We are here to break the cycle, I’ve fostered so many children that have turned into well adjusted adults, are happy and healthy, have careers, friends, experiences gained and a future full of more opportunities.
“It’s a family affair”.
Fostering has taught our children to grow up with empathy towards others. Our 2 daughters have gone onto foster with Beams Foster Care Family Services. We’re very proud they have followed in our footsteps. They manage fostering so well alongside their own birth children, in fact we all support one another, it just works. Now we are grandparents, and we balance fostering alongside them.
To anyone thinking about fostering I would say pick up the phone and chat about it, I never thought I would get a real sense of achievement from the general every day life tasks, such as taking a child or children out for experiences that they have never had like seeing the sea for the first time or visiting London. It’s all worth it to see their faces light up.
