‘Mentoring younger generations; sharing online and social media knowledge is crucial…’

‘I know that some people may think of younger foster carers who must have little experience caring for children. That is not the case for me, I have loads of experience, and I have two children I regularly foster. Both children are teenagers, and I feel our proximity in ages is an asset; we have similar interests. This is particularly important from a respite perspective because this connection and similarity we share may differ with an older carer. Younger people can be more approachable, mainly due to social media, which is essential from a safeguarding perspective.’

‘Training on Social media, mobile phone use, and internet awareness is included in the assessment process. My generation has been brought up with ‘ever changing’ technology. Social media has been an everyday part of our lives. Subsequently, we understand Social media, which helps us understand how children use it. I know the issues surrounding social media. I have a strong awareness of its power and the manipulative tools people use, which means today’s generation of children are in danger and vulnerable. Social media has a dark side, especially for grooming and tracking children online; it is vital to keep children safe and create awareness.’

‘I wanted to mentor the younger generation because I am passionate about women supporting other women. Thankfully, with Caritas Care, we have this. We are a bit like girl gangs. We uplift and empower each other and are a tight-knit community of foster carers that really are all lovely people’.

There is an area that I feel is very integral to my fostering journey. Although I don’t think that I want biological children, I am naturally a very maternal person. I love being around children, and this combined with my desire to help people in whatever way I can, has been a tremendous driving force in my decision to foster.

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

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