TACT: Fostering: A life-changing career

Monday, 11 May 2009 12:00 AM

Special people become foster carers although many of them don't think they're anything special.

Jenny Smith has been a foster carer for The Adolescent and Children's Trust (TACT) for more than 10 years and in that time has helped many young people on their way to a happy and successful life.
Before she started fostering, she didn't realise what she was capable of. She hadn't excelled at school and had problems of her own when young, even running away from home.

Yet, her experiences have helped her support the children and young people she's looked after, "Many of the children I have looked after have also had to deal with loss and grief, and the problems I've experienced in my life have helped me to support these children."

In 2002, she was asked to care for a young boy who'd also run away from home. Fisnik was an asylum seeker from Albania who'd left a country ravaged by civil war. Initially, it was a culture shock as neither of them knew anything about each others country or language. However, they soon learnt a lot from each other. With the help of TACT and others, Jenny managed to find the right schools and services for Fisnik.

Jenny soon realised that Fisnik would do well. Despite not speaking English in arrival, he was Head Boy at his school after only six months. Fisnik has now been granted British citizenship. He has his own flat, is in a long-term relationship and studies accounting and finance at Kingston University. He is actively involved in other activities such as helping children study at local schools clubs and even speaks to Parliamentary Committees about experiences in care.

Jenny says she wouldn't have been able to look after the children in her care without the training and on-going support she received from TACT. "Although the thought of going into a classroom was extremely daunting, the training courses proved to be extremely useful. [.] TACT has been my foundation and as the years have passed I have taken on challenges that would have never come my way."

Thousands more foster carers such as Jenny are needed across England, Wales and Scotland. It doesn't matter what you do or where you come from. The most important thing is that you can provide a caring and secure home. Jenny says: "A loving family unit is often something these children may never have experienced."

Fostering has transformed Jenny's life as well as transforming the lives of the children and young people in her care.

"The reward for me is to see a child flourish and blossom in my care. It is a thrilling achievement, not only for me but for the child and everyone involved and to be seen to do the professional job that you were trained for. Fostering has done more for me than any nine-to-five job could have ever done."

If you have a spare room and time and energy, TACT can offer you 24/7 support, up to £445 per child, per week and professional training.

If you too, you would like to see your life transformed or if you would like to know more about fostering with The Adolescent and Children's Trust, call our team on 0800 085 3864 or email enquiries@tactcare.org.uk.

Notes to editors

. For further information about fostering for TACT and / or contacting our regional offices in England, Scotland and Wales, visit our website, www.tactcare.org.uk

. The Adolescent and Children's Trust (TACT) is the UK's largest charity provider of fostering and adoption services. Our core work involves providing high quality and well supported fostering or adoptive families for children and young people in the care of local authorities. Working in partnership with local authorities from our offices across England, Wales and Scotland, we are dedicated to providing creative, effective and outcome-focused services. We also campaign on behalf of children and young people in care, carers and adoptive families.

ENDS

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