“I came to realise that there was never going to be “a right time” to foster. If I waited until I had nothing else to do or no other priorities, I would have been waiting forever.

As it happened, life has chucked quite a lot at me over the last year, and we’ve just dealt with it. You never know what’s around the corner, so I just had to pick a moment and commit.

Fostering was something that I thought about more and more as I got older. As I began to share these thoughts with friends, they held me accountable and asked if I’d done anything about it yet.

I also came to a moment where I felt that my workplace were in a good place for me to be able to take a step back. I have a brilliant assistant team leader who has stepped up massively while I’ve been less able to commit time outside school hours.

I love working with children and young people.

I love working with children and young people. One of my part-time jobs is leading the Eden team at my local church. Eden is an international movement that is part of the Message Trust that sees teams of youth and community workers moving into some of the most deprived neighbourhoods.

The model is one of doing life alongside people in genuine community and relationships, unlike some models of mission that can seem like swooping in to come to the rescue and swooping out again. We mainly work with 11-18-year-olds, and as long term workers, we get to journey with young people from the beginning of high school to become adults.

Living in the community has often meant being the door people knock-on in a crisis. This has given me lots of practice supporting young people who are having tough times and being part of what has inspired me to foster.

Sacrificing myself and being constantly available to people on this level helped me commit to being present for one young person was also one of the toughest parts of deciding to foster. But I know I have a wonderful youth work team around me who has picked up some of the things I can no longer commit to. They are great leaders who understand the value of fostering and understanding the commitment it takes.

The young people I work with were actually really excited when they heard I started fostering. They are keen to meet and befriend any foster children I have. For me, taking young people that I foster along to a youth group run by people I know and trust and have trained is great.

I passionately believe that every young person should feel valued and loved; equally important is that young people should realise their own value.”

Karen

Click here to read more about Karen’s fostering story…

Click here to enquire about fostering with Caritas Care

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Special thanks to Verve Recruitment for their support in helping us find more foster carer for more children.