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Shushma's Story

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Shushma and her mum

Why we foster

Shushma and her mum foster together. She reflects on how fostering has transformed her family’s outlook on life and improved the future prospects of the children they’ve cared for.

We’ve had many children come into our care. Olivia joined our family when she was nine years old. She was fun and bubbly with a competitive spirit - she was obsessed with football (her favourite team was Arsenal) and loved playing board games.

However, she couldn’t tell the time, use cutlery, do her buttons or tie her shoelaces. As a result, she suffered with low self-esteem and self-confidence. It wasn’t because she wasn’t able to learn - it was because she had never been taught.

We taught Olivia these life skills and we advocated for her Pupil Premium funding to be used for Kumon, an English and maths programme for children of all ages and abilities.

Pupil Premium is government funding to improve education outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in schools.

We saw her self-esteem and self-confidence improve as she was no longer being benchmarked or compared to other children their age. She really started believing in herself and even started reading novels.

Helping children to progress

This is what makes fostering so rewarding. The progress the child makes when they are given the love, belief, support and foundation needed as children, so that they can thrive. It is the little progress that makes my heart swell with pride.

I have learnt so much from the children we’ve cared for. I have worked in the special educational needs (SEN) field for 20 years, but when I entered the world of fostering, it opened many doors and gave me additional insight into SEN.

Why you should foster

If you have the commitment, dedication, and love to give a child the childhood they rightly deserve, what are you waiting for?

Becoming a foster carer changes your life, makes you appreciate what you have, and you become a kinder, more empathetic person.

Shushma and her mum: “Becoming a foster carer changes your life.”Join our fostering community today and see how you can change a child’s life:

You could have what it takes to become a Foster Carer, but you’ll never know unless you get in touch!

Return to the Community News homepage.

Shushma and her mum

Why we foster

Shushma and her mum foster together. She reflects on how fostering has transformed her family’s outlook on life and improved the future prospects of the children they’ve cared for.

We’ve had many children come into our care. Olivia joined our family when she was nine years old. She was fun and bubbly with a competitive spirit - she was obsessed with football (her favourite team was Arsenal) and loved playing board games.

However, she couldn’t tell the time, use cutlery, do her buttons or tie her shoelaces. As a result, she suffered with low self-esteem and self-confidence. It wasn’t because she wasn’t able to learn - it was because she had never been taught.

We taught Olivia these life skills and we advocated for her Pupil Premium funding to be used for Kumon, an English and maths programme for children of all ages and abilities.

Pupil Premium is government funding to improve education outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in schools.

We saw her self-esteem and self-confidence improve as she was no longer being benchmarked or compared to other children their age. She really started believing in herself and even started reading novels.

Helping children to progress

This is what makes fostering so rewarding. The progress the child makes when they are given the love, belief, support and foundation needed as children, so that they can thrive. It is the little progress that makes my heart swell with pride.

I have learnt so much from the children we’ve cared for. I have worked in the special educational needs (SEN) field for 20 years, but when I entered the world of fostering, it opened many doors and gave me additional insight into SEN.

Why you should foster

If you have the commitment, dedication, and love to give a child the childhood they rightly deserve, what are you waiting for?

Becoming a foster carer changes your life, makes you appreciate what you have, and you become a kinder, more empathetic person.

Shushma and her mum: “Becoming a foster carer changes your life.”Join our fostering community today and see how you can change a child’s life:

You could have what it takes to become a Foster Carer, but you’ll never know unless you get in touch!

Return to the Community News homepage.

Page published: 16 May 2022, 11:03 AM