Tim and Sharon are great examples of how rewarding life as a foster carer can be. Although there are tough times and new challenges along the way, the positive difference fostering has made to theirs and numerous children’s lives makes it all worthwhile.
Sharon and Tim live in Leicester and have four adult children, one foster child, and a dog. The couple have been fostering for six years, the last four of which have been with Barnardo’s.
Six years ago, Tim and Sharon started out as short term foster carers but decided to move to long-term fostering to offer the young person they were fostering at the time everything they thought he should have in life– a safe, stable and loving place to call home.
Tim, who works as a mental health nurse as well as being a foster carer, enjoys the balance and rewards both roles offer him. “Some children have never held the hand of a parent, and so it is wonderful that we can give a child that experience. It took a long time before our foster child would hold our hands, but it is so rewarding now when he does and feels comfortable with it,” he says.
His wife Sharon says, “We work with people struggling with mental health issues and have seen first-hand the impact on some of those in the care system who struggled with no sense of belonging. Growing up, they didn’t really have a chance in life. People have said to me ‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt loved’. That was heart-breaking and really influenced our decision to foster.”
Thinking about their favourite memories as foster carers, Tim and Sharon’s faces light up. Sharon recalls her favourite memory was taking their foster child abroad for the first time. "I remember how excited I felt for him; to be able to give him an experience he had never had before.
Tim’s favourite memory was the first time their foster child called him dad: “It was an amazing feeling that he was accepting me in his life.”
“Compared to having our own children, raising a foster child is different”, Tim says. “That’s when the support and training you get from Barnardo’s can make such a big difference. It really helps you to understand the young person’s behaviours and how different approaches you haven’t used before can be really effective. And it’s so rewarding to help them through the bad times.”
If you’re thinking about fostering, Sharon’s advice is simple: “It’s worth just going to find out more about it and seeing if it is for you. I get something out of fostering every day.”
Interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer?
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Foster a child
Fostering is more than providing somewhere safe to call home. It’s giving a child a place where they finally feel they belong. We’re looking for people like you, who can open their heart and home to a child when they need it most.
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Why foster with Barnardo’s
We're passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of the children and young people we support, as well as our foster carers. We offer a comprehensive preparation, training and support fostering programme, including paid membership to the Fostering Network and access to support groups, foster carer forums and foster family social events.
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“I always tell people I have eight daughters”: Sarah and Chris share their experiences of fostering
Sarah and Chris Williams became foster parents almost by accident 15 years ago and now, having given a loving home to their sixth child in care, the rewards keep on coming.