To mark Foster Care Fortnight (11–24 May), local carers are sharing their experiences to encourage more people in the borough to consider fostering.
Foster Care Fortnight is an annual campaign to raise awareness of fostering and the difference it can make to families and young people.
For Lidia Redhead, fostering has always been part of family life. Growing up in Greenford, she lived in a household where foster children were given a safe and loving home.
Her parents have been fostering for 26 years and have cared for around 20 children, including respite, short and long-term placements. Lidia grew up with about 13 foster brothers and sisters, including sibling groups of 3, and described the experience as positive and rewarding.
She said: “My parents are still fostering, over 26 years now. I lived with different foster siblings, and I found it great.”
Lidia saw young people arrive with challenging behaviour and leave with more confidence, self-esteem and hope.
“By the time they left, they were like different children. That inspired me. It made me become a social worker,” she said.
Now, Lidia is a foster carer with her partner, Rubin, who was new to the experience. The couple began fostering with Ealing Council in June 2019.
She said: “We both felt we wanted to make a positive difference and become foster carers.”
Becoming foster carers
Before applying, the couple attended the Skills to Foster course, a programme for people considering fostering. It provides an honest insight into what fostering involves, including the experiences children may bring with them and the support available.
Rubin explained: “It was about seeing if we could do it. You are inviting someone into your home who might have come into care because of neglect, or parents’ substance or alcohol misuse, for example.”
Their first foster child was introduced gradually.
He added: “It was a gradual process. He came here and spent a bit of time with us. We were gradually introduced, and that helped ease us into it.”
Since then, they have mainly fostered teenagers and have cared for seven young people.
For Lidia and Rubin, fostering teenagers has been especially meaningful.
Lidia said: “A lot of people are scared of teenagers. But when a young person lets you in and trusts you, it is such a privilege.”
Many of the young people they have fostered stay in touch.
Rubin added: “When they leave us, we are still there. They come back to visit. They want to be part of the family.”
‘Will I get it right?’
Elena Fitkov-Norris is a foster carer from Acton. When her own children grew up, she began thinking about how she could help other children who needed support.
“That is when I found fostering. But I was apprehensive. I could see it was quite a rigorous process, and I was a single carer,” she said.
“I went to a training event and remember looking around the room. There were all these other lovely couples. I thought, ‘what am I doing? It is a big responsibility, and I am on my own. Will I get it right’?”
A network of support
Talking to others changed how she saw things.
Elena explained: “I was told, ‘Do not underestimate what you have to offer.’ That is when it really hit me, you are not on your own. There is lots of support.
“I suddenly thought, this is not just me. Yes, I am one part of it, but there is a big network all around me and the child. Suddenly my fears and doubts disappeared.”
Small moments that matter
Fostering also brought unexpected change to Elena’s own family.
She said: “The most surprising thing for me was how much my foster child enriched our lives. She brought us together and made us better as a family.”
For Elena, everyday moments matter.
She said: “They might make me a cup of tea or say ‘I love you’. Or send a photo because they are proud of something they have achieved on their own. I think, ‘this is what it is all about’.”
The council’s strategic director of children’s services, Robert South, said:
“Our foster carers play a vital role in supporting children and young people across the borough. We are very grateful for the care they give, and we encourage anyone who feels they could offer a safe and supportive home to consider fostering.”
Interested in fostering?
As part of Foster Care Fortnight, the council will also be out in the community to speak to residents about fostering and answer any questions. Outreach events will take place on Friday 15 May at Ealing Town Hall, Saturday 16 May at Westway Cross Shopping Centre in Greenford, and Friday 22 May at Quality Foods and Iceland in Southall, all from 9am to 5:30pm. Residents are encouraged to drop in and find out more about how they can get involved.
For more information about fostering in the borough, visit the Ealing Fostering website.
