Former Bristol foster child urges families to help those in care

Jenny and her husband Tim began fostering around 18 months ago

A woman who grew up in the foster system has urged other families to help children in care.

Jenny Jacobs, from Bristol, was raised by three different foster families.

She said the experience made her want to offer a stable and loving home to other children in the system.

"Being able to make even the smallest bit of difference to a child's life, and be part of their journey, whether it be a week, a month or even longer is a privilege," she said.

There are currently more than 82,000 children in care in the country, according to government figures.

In Bristol in 2022, 8,065 children were in need of a foster home.

'They had our hearts'

The Jacobs family opened their home to foster children around 18 months ago.

They said they did not plan to foster long term, but after the family's first placement ended with a successful adoption, they were matched with 10-year-old autistic twins.

After spending six days with them, Ms Jacob said "they had our hearts and we knew we were keeping them."

"What we have done with them isn't magic, it's parenting and it has been a complete pleasure having them in our lives", she added.

Ms Jacobs credited the team at Capstone Foster Care for being so supportive throughout the "full on" process.

'Influenced my life'

Ms Jacobs, who is now 43-years-old, said her experiences with foster families - both the good and the bad - influenced her life and made her who she is today.

She said: "It made me more resilient and accepting of others and the world around me

"It helped mould me into the person I am today, and gave me the passion to move forward with my life and support other children whom through no fault of their own, found themselves within the care system"

Jacci Kirkland, Director of QA and Service Improvement at Capstone Foster Care, said: "It's families like the Jacobs who make such a difference to the lives of children in care but we urgently need more people like them"

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