Fostering is hard, but invaluable, says carer

Abi Tostevin's parents fostered children while she was growing up and now she does it too

Fostering is "really hard" but "completely invaluable", according to one Guernsey foster parent.

Abi Tostevin was inspired to become a foster parent after her own parents took in several children when she was growing up.

Social worker Vicki Tennant, who focuses on recruiting and retaining carers, said there were more children in care than last year and fewer fostering households.

She said: "Fostering and the number of children who need places is always going to fluctuate."

'Tighter than normal'

Miss Tostevin said although fostering had been normalised for her, she recognised that for other people the "fear of the unknown" could be off-putting, but it was "not this big scary thing".

Ms Tennant has fostered children of all ages and said teenagers "have their own way of showing you you’re appreciated", but whichever way they show their appreciation it makes her feel "valued".

She said anyone who had a "heart for children" should definitely look into it.

Mrs Tennant said on a small Island there can be a concern the foster parents will know members of the child's birth family, but potential foster parents should not be concerned as "sometime when there is a link it can work quite well".

She said Children and Family Services look for foster carers with a variety of backgrounds, including people who work part-time, single fosterers, those with and without their own birth childre and members of the LGBT community.