A local charity and non-profit fostering agency has called on the local public to consider foster care.
Preston-based fostering carers Sue and Carolyn have shared their story as two of Caritas Care’s charity carers.
Sue and her husband Steve became foster carers after Steve suffered a stroke which meant both of them had to leave their careers.
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Sue said: “It was something I’d always wanted to do. Steve thought they wouldn’t take him because of the disability, but I said, ‘There’s no harm trying.’ And I was right, they did take us!”
She talked about her foster child, Elsie, and said: “Elsie is completely part of our family. But we need sleepovers and Caritas Care made sure we had support that felt right for her.
“She no longer takes all her things. She knows there’s a towel there, a lamp there, and that she belongs.”
Carolyn, who provides sleepover care for Sue’s foster child, came to fostering after many years in childcare and caring for her father.
She said: “I come from a big Irish family and there were always children around.”
“I thought maybe I could do a bit more for one or two. My husband said, ‘There’s a fostering agency down the road,’ and that was Caritas Care. I didn’t look anywhere else.”
Caritas Care is now urging more people to consider fostering or offering sleepovers, especially as demand continues to rise.
Lucy Doughty, Fostering Service Manager said, “The relationship that has developed between the families is just a really special bond, and it’s great that Elsie feels like it’s home from home.
“It really shows just how important it is to build a supportive community around children and young people and how fostering can change the lives of all involved.
She added: “We are so thankful to have foster carers like Sue and Carolyn as part of our fostering family.”
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