Christine's Story

Once Christine made the choice to go from owning and running a baby stall to being a foster parent, she never looked back. Now she cares for two teenagers and her fostering family is her number one priority. Lockdown has brought its own challenges, but it's also been a time of coming together.

“I enjoy doing my best to change a child or young person’s attitude towards how they feel and view themselves,” explains Christine. “It’s rewarding for me when I become their first point of call in times of happiness, achievement, or upset.”

Of course, during lockdown, where all of our worlds shrank to just our households, being that first point of contact is ever more important. During difficult times, becoming a foster carer might seem like a daunting change - but it’s actually a time when many young people need you the most. For Christine, it was a time for reflection.

“I enjoy doing my best to change a child or young person’s attitude towards how they feel and view themselves”

“I created new routines, like going for a walk at 1pm, baking on a Friday, bingo on a Saturday,” Christine continues. “The care remains the same, just the order of priority has changed. For example, home schooling became more important than outgrowing shoes or losing bus passes!”

Even after the added stress of the pandemic, Christine would do it all again: “There is never a bad time to become a foster carer, it just needs to be the right time for you.”