Why We Foster: Andleeb’s Story (Video)

Fostering can be a life-changing journey, not just for the children involved but for the entire family. This video shares the heartfelt experience of a young person whose parents decided to become foster carers. It provides a unique perspective on what it’s like to welcome a foster child into the home, the emotions involved, and the positive impact it has had on the whole family.

Watch the video below to hear this inspiring story firsthand.

“When my mom and dad first told me and my siblings that they wanted to foster, me and my siblings were quite shocked because we had sort of cooked up this whole plan that we’d have dinner and convince my parents to foster because we really wanted to have a young child living in the house. So when they told us, we were so excited.

We had been part of the fostering process—the initial interviews that we had and when they decided they wanted to be carers. I even went into the panel interview, the final interview, so we had been a part of it the whole time.

When they had gone to meetings, they came back with notes and things that they had to tell us. We’ve always been included from the start. It was really informative, and it just made us feel like we were involved. We were part of it, so we’ve always felt like we were carers as well.”

“Our first experience of having a foster child come into the family was really nerve-wracking. We were all really anxious. As a 17-year-old, I was older than my brother, but we were all really anxious. However, when she arrived, she was such a bubbly character. I was really surprised—I expected her to be a shy girl, but no, she was so confident.

She brought confidence to our home, and my little brother adapted so well. He shared everything, and it was such a positive experience. Having that first positive experience made everything else so much easier. The other placements we’ve had since then have also been great.”

“If you’re worried about your parents fostering, I would tell you not to be worried at all. Since they are your parents, you can be fully involved in the interview processes. You can participate in discussions with supervising social workers, and you can get involved in the panel interviews. Just gather as much information as you can.

It’s not scary, and there are so many positives that come with fostering. There’s really nothing to worry about.”