The seed for working with children and young people was planted for Pearl* when she was a very young teenager after meeting a young boy from an orphanage in the West Indies. From that point on she always knew it was something she wanted to do.
Building a support network
It’s important for me to have someone to talk to and share things with. If you’re going to foster as a single person, it is good to have a really strong support network around you, although Flourish has provided me with support around the clock.
Being part of the Flourish family and building up a trusting, working relationship with other foster parents and the team at Flourish, whose ethos is about supporting each other, is something that Pearl connects with – as is the ability to maintain a sense of humour, a piece of advice that Pearl would give to anyone thinking about applying to be a foster parent.
Life is never dull
The children I have cared for have never had an issue with ‘sharing’ me as a mum – it’s a way of life for everyone and makes for a great family dynamic. The children get so much out of it and they appreciate meeting and talking to new people and sharing different experiences. Life is never dull here.
There’s no blueprint for what makes an ‘ideal’ foster parent. Everyone brings their own special something and bit of life experience. Being naturally calm, caring, and patient and a good listener will all stand you in good stead.
Her advice for anyone considering fostering
My advice for anyone considering becoming a foster parent would be to pick up the phone and talk to an organisation like Flourish Fostering. There are lots of different parts to becoming a foster parent and at any point you can change your mind. It’s important to work out if it’s for you.
Fostering is not for everyone but for me it’s the most rewarding thing that I have ever done.
* Names anonymised for privacy purposes.