Fostering Fortnight: Swansea couple urge others to foster and help vulnerable children lead a better life
10.05.10
As Fostering Fortnight 2010* gets underway, a couple from Swansea, who have fostered 16 children in just six years, is encouraging others to consider taking-up the role.
James and Bev, Jones, aged 49 and 45 respectively, from Morriston in Swansea, are foster carers with Wales’ leading independent fostering agency Pathway Care.
Due to a shortage of 750 foster carers in Swansea, the Swansea Valleys and throughout Wales, the couple want to raise awareness of the vital work foster carers do to help children and young people from challenging backgrounds to regain their self esteem and build a positive life for the future.
James and Bev have fostered children from various backgrounds including sibling groups and young people with challenging behaviour such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
They still keep in regular contact with the young people they have fostered and currently foster 13-year-old Sarah** who has been with them for three months. The couple have also inspired James’ brother and sister-in-law to become foster carers with Pathway Care.
James said: “Bev and I have a large family with four daughters and two grandsons. We felt we’d done a pretty good job as parents and wanted to help vulnerable youngsters who through no fault of their own have had a difficult start in life.
“We include our foster children in family activities and we enjoy camping trips, dancing and attending family days with Pathway Care. This helps foster children to feel loved and wanted to learn to trust somebody and helps them believe in themselves.
“To be a good foster carer you need to go into the role with your eyes open, be non judgemental, supportive, understanding and patient. You also have to be generous with your praise but set boundaries for reasonable behaviour and be fair but firm when needed.
“Fostering is challenging. It’s not for everyone, but for the right sort of person it can be the best job in the world. Over the years we’ve seen those we’ve cared for develop a more positive outlook on life and gain the skills they need for life to find work and have their own families.
“We never feel alone, Pathway Care provide us with support from experienced social workers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They also provide continuous training and Bev and I have both completed many social care courses. This has boosted our confidence and enhanced our skills as foster carers,” he added.
Wendy Keidan, Pathway Care’s director of practice said: “We’re very proud of James and Bev who, like all our foster carers, have done so much to help fostered children lead a better quality of life and have hope for the future.
“Fostering Fortnight is an important reminder that there’s a shortage of foster carers in Swansea and the Swansea Valleys in particular. Foster carers come from all cultures, backgrounds and include couples with or without children, single people, divorced people and lone parents.”
She added: “We are keen to hear from people who are experienced foster carers or who are considering becoming foster carers for the first time who can look after lone children, sibling groups, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, young mothers and their babies, teenagers, and children with disabilities and challenging behaviour.”
A career in foster care offers many benefits including competitive rates of pay and flexible working. For more information about fostering please contact Pathway Care on tel: 0871 226 3760; or visit the website at www.pathwaycare.com
