Our biggest regret is that we didn't start it sooner. If you can make a difference in a child's life it's all worth it. Watching the children develop is like watching a pan of popcorn - they all pop at different times and flourish. Living in Middlesbrough and looking after Middlesbrough children gives us the reward of feeling we are giving something and being a real part of our community. Helping the children and their families - it's what we love to do, it is our life. It has given us such a lot of understanding, empathy and pleasure. We feel that it is a real privilege and a pleasure to care for children who are the most important thing in the world to their families and to us.
Malcolm and Carolann, Fostering for Middlesbrough, carers for 23 years
Our social worker has been great. She's been with us through the whole process. Our first placement didn't work out quite so well. The kind of put us on the back for a little bit with some doubts about, well, maybe this wasn't for us, but Jane was great. She came out, talked us through it, and said, 'Okay, let's look at what does work for you'. But those fears pretty much went away, and the support you get from the social workers has been great.Sharen and Lee.
