A DAD and daughter have shared their experiences of offering a loving home to a foster child.
Rob Smaling explains that he and his wife Laura have fostered for six years while also juggling busy working lives and raising two teenage daughters.
“Fostering was something Laura and I had always discussed. When we had our own family and felt it was the right time, we decided to take the plunge,” says Rob, a shift worker, sitting beside his 16-year-old daughter Megan.
“It can be a struggle sometimes juggling the demands of work and running around after the children. But it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. The children slowly transform in front of you day-by-day. You don’t always notice it yourself, but when someone else tells you how much they have developed and improved, it’s incredibly rewarding. Sometimes we can feel a bit isolated, but when things get tough you need to take a step back and remind yourself why you are doing it.”
For Megan, fostering has been a positive experience.
“I really like it,” she says, adding that she enjoys going to Middlesbrough FC matches with one of the fostered children and her dad. “They appreciate you more than you think, and it makes my days better having them around. I enjoy seeing the children we foster slowly develop and become part of the family. Their faces get happier.”
When asked what advice he’d give someone thinking about becoming a foster carer, Rob is clear: “Just give it a go. You really can make a difference to a young person’s life.”
Cllr Bill Suthers, Cabinet Member for Children, explained:
“The number of children in the care of the local authority has increased dramatically over the last decade which has led to a shortage in foster carers.
“The council is looking for foster carers like Rob and Laura to place local children in high quality local foster placements, where they have a stable home environment and the support to help them grow, develop and realise their potential.
“Anyone wishing to take up fostering will receive comprehensive support from the council.”
For further information please visit www.fosterwithnortheast.org.uk call 0800 9177771 or email contact@fosterwithnortheast.org.uk