Tameside's longest-serving foster carers share Christmas joy

FOSTER carers Sue and Pete Williams open their home and hearts every Christmas to their foster daughters and sons, along with their families.

The couple, 72 and 81, from Hyde are Tameside Council’s longest-serving foster carers, having fostered local children and young people for 44 years and counting.

They want to tell their story to highlight the vital difference others can make to the lives of local children if they were to foster also.

Tameside Council are looking for more people to come forward and become foster carers to provide stable and loving homes for vulnerable local children. The council provides foster carers with full training, support and an allowance.

Christmas is known as a time for families to come together, to spread joy, warmth and kindness. Both Sue and Pete have made many Christmases special for those who weren’t fortunate enough to have it in the first place. They continue to do this for those they no longer foster as they now consider them to be members of their family.

Through fostering over the years, they have cared for 27 children and their family has grown so large that they have bought presents for 32 family members this year.

It all began when Sue saw an advert asking local residents to foster, Sue convinced Pete to attend the meeting with her. From there they attended further meetings and training and following an assessment they were approved as foster carers for Tameside Council and welcomed the first child into their home.

Sue and Pete both worked full-time alongside fostering, Sue at a local Children’s Unit and Pete as a machinist. Fostering was flexible enough to fit with both of their lifestyles.

Sue said: “I always knew I wanted to foster, I was an only child myself, but my childhood was so great that I wanted to have a big family to make sure my children and the children we care for had the same.”

Pete said: “Our first placement – a boy - was challenging as it was a new experience, and we also had our biological son living with us at the time.

“But we had a lot of laughs with him and we built up such a solid relationship that at the age of 18 years old he decided to change his surname to ours, Williams. We still keep in touch with him now, as we do with many of them.”

Sue and Pete have made a long-lasting impression on a number of foster children, as one got their names tattooed on his arms to express how they’ll be with him forever. Others have asked Pete to walk them down the aisle when getting married.

Sue said: “I’m very open with any child that comes into our home as by showing it’s safe to be vulnerable they feel more comfortable in coming out of their shell.

“Together, me and Pete have built a support system for all, so they can lean on us whenever they need for advice and guidance in life.”

Pete added to this by saying: “Fostering has become our way of life, we don’t see a child as a foster child when they come to our home, we see them as an addition to our family.”

Throughout their experience Sue and Pete have made a great effort to keep siblings together and to keep them full-term if they can. They currently have two foster children and one young person who is 18+ on a Staying Put arrangement providing advice and guidance rather than foster care.

Staying Put is for young people who have been fostered and at the age of 18 remain with the foster carers up to the age of 21 years.

Sue and Pete have even inspired their daughter and a foster daughter to help other children, as they chose to become social workers with Tameside Council.

The couple have endless amounts of stories to tell from their fostering journey but Pete summed it up perfectly by saying: “It’s not been without its challenges, but we’ve overcome them, and it’s been well worth it.

“Over 44 years we’ve got thousands of amazing memories and only a handful of bad ones.”

Anyone can foster so long as applicants are 21 years or older, have a spare room and can offer a safe and loving home.

Fostering can be flexible as there are various fostering opportunities to suit different schedules and lifestyles. Types of fostering can include short-term, long-term, specialist, emergency and respite fostering.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children’s and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said: “I’d first like to start off by saying a huge congratulations and thank you to both Sue and Pete for pouring so much love and support into so many local children who needed you.”

“Sue and Pete have been on a long fostering journey with ourselves but if you’re thinking of starting your own journey I urge you to get in touch and ask those questions you’re curious about, as we can provide you with the reassurance and support you’d need when fostering in Tameside.”

Any residents that have been inspired to enquire by Sue and Pete’s story please get in touch by calling 0300 303 0321 or email enquire@fosterforgm.com or visit www.tameside.gov.uk/fostering