Tameside respite foster carers celebrate their first year by sharing their story

A CARING couple have fitted fostering around their jobs and lifestyles to help transform the lives of foster children.

Wayne, 44, a full-time teacher, and Vicky, 45, a part-time teaching assistant, became respite foster carers just over a year ago and spend weekends and school holidays caring for children and young people.

The role fits around their jobs and lifestyle, while enabling the Hollingworth couple to be the difference in the lives of local children.

Wayne said: “Respite care works well because we can pick and choose what weekends and school holidays we want to work and then all it comes down to is a bit of organisation and preparation.”

They’re sharing their journey of joining the Tameside Fostering Family to show that fostering can be flexible and fit around different lifestyles and schedules.

Respite foster care is a short-term arrangement where a foster child stays with a different foster family for a limited period of time. The main purpose is to give the child’s primary foster carers a break, while ensuring the child remains in a safe, supportive environment.

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 full training, support and an allowance.

Wayne and Vicky were inspired by Wayne’s sister, who fostered for 20 years. Wayne explained: “We don’t have our own children, but we spend a lot of time with children in schools, so we thought we have all of this knowledge and skills, why don’t we apply this to fostering?”

Vicky added: “There’s only so much you can do in schools because you only get so much time with them, and I wanted to do more of the parental and nurturing side.”

They researched options and initially signed up to foster with an agency. However, after their experience they decided they wanted to foster with their local council to keep local children local — offering familiarity and stability in unstable times.

Wayne said: “We did research other local authorities, but Tameside Council really stood out to us because their communication was excellent. Tameside is a massive place but working with the Tameside fostering team hasn’t felt like that, it has been really friendly and intimate.

“We know the children we’re caring for have been through a lot, but we’ve had training, support and buddies, which have been incredible, and we also manage to speak to lots of others in the Facebook group and people are really fast at replying.

“It’s amazing once you start this role the amount of people in your locality that are involved in fostering, and you don’t realise it.”

Vicky added: “Our social worker has been amazing, she has been with us since the beginning, which has been really positive.

“I expected it to be more intense than it actually has been with a local authority. I had it in my head that we were going to be pestered every week, and it’s not been like that at all.

“The set up we have with a regular child has been really positive because we had meet ups before we cared for them – we weren’t just thrown into it; it was a gradual process for us and the child and that worked really well.”

The couple have done online training that’s worked around their schedules.

They enjoy making what are usually simple moments as special as they can.

Vicky shared: “I love getting creative with their breakfasts and lunches and having treats like waffles and bacon because I enjoy sitting down to eat with them and having our own little chats.”

Wayne said: “I also love doing activities with them they they’ve not done before, like we painted with bubble wrap to make patterns, which we’ve kept on our walls now. It’s not complicated it’s just spending time with people, whilst enjoying it and we get to do things we enjoy doing too.”

Together they also take the children to feed the ducks, play football in parks, explore scenic nature walks, visit local fairs and trips to the farm.

Vicky said: “The children just want the time, love and attention. That’s something I love about kids in general, is getting to know them and boosting their confidence and telling them they can do whatever they choose to do.

“When you’re doing it, you don’t realise the difference you’re making. Even though they’re with us a short period of time I hope we’ve given them small bits of learning to think about when they’re older.

“It’s that kind of idea that it takes a village to raise a child and we’re just a part of that village – they might not be your birth family but you’re their family and they’re yours.

“When you first come into it, it can be scary to navigate so having those people at the other end of the phone saying, ‘don’t worry about it, we’ve been through it’ is really important, no matter what fostering you’re doing.”

Asked what they’d say to anyone considering fostering, Wayne said: “Just be brave and ask the questions because there’s no pressure to do anything.”

Vicky added: “We’ve been really honest about what we can and can’t do from the very start and our social worker has understood that and supported us throughout.”

Anyone can foster so long as applicants are 21 years or older, have a spare room (unless you’re fostering a child under the age of two) 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 like to personally thank Wayne and Vicky for sharing their story about how they became respite foster carers, what you do truly does make the difference and keeps local children at the heart of everything we do.

“Coming from an educational background myself the skills and knowledge are a perfect fit for those who are considering foster, although a lot of people don’t realise, they already have the skillset to become a foster carer.

“So, please if you’re thinking about it or you’re wanting to ask a question don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Anyone who has been inspired to enquire by Wayne and Vicky’s story please get in touch by calling 0300 303 0321 or email enquire@fosterforgm.com or visit www.fosterforgm.com/tameside