Fostering Hampshire Children is celebrating its inspiring foster carers and calling for more people to consider changing the life of a child in need, during its annual Foster Focus Week (24-30 October).
Hampshire County Council’s regional celebration will provide an opportunity for Hampshire residents to find out more about fostering at a series of in-person and virtual information events running throughout the week. This year’s campaign particularly seeks to break down perceived barriers surrounding who can foster.
In this article, Lynda, a foster carer at Fostering Hampshire Children highlights it is not only the variety of foster carers who foster in Hampshire but the different types of fostering too.
Lynda, one of the foster carers with Fostering Hampshire Children has been providing a safe home environment to foster children for over a decade in Eastleigh and Winchester.
Mainly involved in the looking after teenagers both in the short term and long term, Lynda is the Hive Carer Support Worker for Eastleigh and Winchester Hampshire Hives with Fostering Hampshire Children.
The Hive is a support bubble for Fostering Hampshire Children carers and the children they care for. Over time families within the Hive will develop close relationships, like friends and family. The Hive families will identify any potential challenges and offer support to foster carers in their Hive to ensure the child/ren they care for remain in a stable home.
Lynda became a foster carer almost by accident. Their son and his fiancé brought round a friend for dinner - she was young, pregnant and staying in a mother and baby refuge in Andover. “[Steph*] was brought up in care and was in placement because she was in an abusive relationship. She would come round for dinner and join us on weekends.” says Lynda, “then one day we said, if you ever need us, we’re here - we had three or four empty rooms at the time”. Steph was soon asking if they meant what they had said.
The next day, they made all the necessary phone calls to social services and became connected carers. Steph stayed with them for six months. “Our supervising social worker said, ‘you’ve done a really job would you like to carry on?’ So, we did.” says Lynda. Over a decade later, Lynda has since fostered eight young mothers and their babies.
Adult and child fostering isn’t the only type of placement Lynda welcomes into her home. They have fostered unoccupied asylum seekers and teenagers too, both short-term (from a week up to two years) and long-term (more than two years).
“Joe* originally came for a month’s break, but he’s stayed with us for four years and his confidence has grew so much. He applied for head boy at school, and he did an excellent job - to see him flourish is lovely. At first, he was skinny, stressed and quiet; so, to see him give his head boy speech on stage talking to everyone at the school was brilliant.” says Lynda. “We want Joe to know we’re here for him, that there’ll always be somewhere for him to come home to. His relationship with his parents is better than it’s ever been but still a bit fragile.” she says, “On my birthday he bought me a little heart decoration which said ‘you don’t need DNA to be my parent’ - he said he was a little disappointed when it arrived in the post because he wanted the heart to be bigger than it was.”
*Name changed to protect confidentiality
Almost anyone can foster regardless of where they live in Hampshire. As long as you over 21, have a spare room, a tiny bit of care experience you can foster. Regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationship and faith – you are eligible to join Fostering Hampshire Children.
For those interested in fostering with the County Council, the Fostering Hampshire Children website provides a wealth of resources, information and details of events. Hampshire residents are also encouraged to come along to one of the following events throughout Foster Focus Week to find out more:
- Sunday 23 October –Blue Light Day at Beaulieu (Waiting on complete confirmation)
- Monday 24 October – Marwell (Waiting on complete confirmation)
- Tuesday 25 October – Meet the Chamber Business Exhibition (Basingstoke)
- Wednesday 26 October – Paultons Park
- Thursday 27 October – Winchester Science Centre
- Friday 28 October – Watercress Line
We also have three virtual events this week too – with opportunities to chat with our knowledgeable recruitment team and our inspirational foster carers. Find out more about these events.
You can also sign up for our Fostering Hampshire Children newsletter too and stay up to date about all the fostering news and developments from your local authority.