“I became a foster dad nearly two years ago. Our four children were grown up and independent, and my wife Julie and I felt we were in a good position to make a positive difference to other children’s lives. As our friends have been fostering with TACT for 14 years, we didn’t have to look any further as to whom we would foster with.

From first contact with TACT it was an efficient and smooth process leading to the panel, which was not as stressful as expected, with the panel members making us feel very relaxed.

Once approved as foster parents, expecting our first foster child made us feel very excited, as it confirmed a new chapter in our lives had begun.

In the past two years, we have cared for seven children, and we now have three boys living with us– two little brothers and a teenager. The oldest boy has been with us for almost two years, during which we have witnessed so many positive changes in him. When he first came to us he so lacked confidence he was afraid even to go out to the shops. He had many issues but step by step, thanks to our constant support and encouragement, he has managed to overcome nearly each and every one of them. He has grown into a confident young man.

He really helped our two other boys settle in when they arrived over a year ago. It was their first time in care so he did his best to make them feel welcome and at ease. Now they both feel relaxed and comfortable, which is great as they will be staying with us long term.

To me, being a foster dad means making a difference by providing love, warmth, understanding and stability, which I thoroughly enjoy. Fostering is a life changer. It can be very challenging, and some situations might make you wonder why are you doing this. However, I can say with confidence that the highs have outweighed the lows, and seeing the children thrive has given me and my wife a great deal of satisfaction.

Our birth children had some concerns when we started the fostering process, but now we have their full backing, and they help out with the children when they can. And whenever we need, we know TACT is always there so we have an excellent support network.

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