Real stories
Let us introduce you to some of the wonderful people who decided to foster with our partners across the North East. Here they kindly share their own experiences of fostering, talk about the children they have looked after over the years and offer advice on what others considering fostering may want to know.
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Gary and Elizabeth
Gary and Elizabeth share their emotional experiences of being foster carers.
Julia and Mark's story
Foster carers Julia and Mark reflect on their 11 years of fostering as they approach retirement.
Amy and Kim's story
Foster carers Amy and Kim share their experiences of becoming foster carers in their 20s.
Paula, Olivia and Harry's story
In this heart-warming story we meet long-term foster carer Paula alongside brother and sister Harry and Olivia.
Claire, Olly, Billie & Hattie's story
Long-term foster carers Olly and Claire and their daughters Billie and Hattie share their family's fostering story and look at the difference fostering has made to each of them.
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A day in the life of long-term foster carers Lesley and Stephen
Lesley and Stephen are long-term foster carer for a 10 year old girl who has lived with them for three years. In this article they give us an insight into a day in their life and how they balance fostering and grandparent duties.
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Nicola's story
Nicola talks to us about why she transferred from being a foster carer with an Independent Fostering Agency to becoming a carer with her local authority, her proudest fostering moments, why she believes it's so important to keep brothers and sisters together and how every child leaves a lasting impression.
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Geoff and Stuart's story
Geoff and Stuart were happily plodding along in decades-long careers when they suddenly started to notice how empty their home felt when Geoff's daughter started to grow in independence and be out of the home more.
Sharan and Lee's story
Meet Sharen and Lee, our seasoned long-term foster carers to two young people! Hear first hand about the impact fostering has had on all their lives, the invaluable lessons learned, and the qualities they believe make a great foster carer.
Francie's story
Meet Francie, a remarkable foster carer for an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young woman. Hear all about her heart-warming journey, how Google translate has helped the pair bond and what advice she would offers others thinking of fostering.
Lisa and Stephen's story
We are delighted to share our very first Foster with North East video case study - here we meet Lisa and Stephen, short break foster carers who share with us their experiences of life as foster carers and how this fits into their family life.
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Viv and Ian's story
Meeting a fostered little girl in her former job as a teaching assistant set the wheels in motion for Viv and her husband Ian to share their home and shape the lives of young people in ways they never dreamed possible.