Hi, I’m William, and I’m 16 years old. I attend college three days a week and work with my dad the other four days. In my free time, I enjoy playing Xbox and watching TV shows on Netflix. But what truly brightens my days are the two kids we’re currently looking after – they’ve become an amazing part of my life.
“growing up in a fostering family is fun. I enjoy it”
Growing up in a fostering family is fun is the way I would put it. I enjoy it. You get to meet kids from every lifestyle, learn about their lifestyles, and get to know them better. When I’m not working or at college, I help out as much as I can. We tend to do a lot, especially during holidays, and go to places together. We make it a point to eat dinner together every night we can and talk about our days.
“my foster siblings: just like my biological siblings”
I’d like to think my relationship is very close with my foster siblings. I classify them as my biological siblings and treat them the same way. I enjoy foster caring as it allows me to have more siblings to learn about. There are a few fosters we’ve had, and we still keep in touch with them. They’re part of the family.
“positive aspects of fostering”
Some positive aspects of fostering and having foster siblings include meeting new people and attending fostering gatherings.
“challenges of fostering”
There aren’t any challenges I can think of, apart from having more responsibilities and some added discipline in my everyday life. However, having more people to talk to is a lot better within the family.
“the joy of being part of their journey”
One of the most rewarding experiences is meeting the kids, especially when they’re newborns. You get to witness the first few chapters of their lives with them, teaching them how to grow up, walk, talk, and eat.
“fostering: a lifelong journey”
Fostering has been a part of my life since I was born, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it with my family. It’s been a significant learning experience for our family, and it has helped me personally.
“my advice for future foster carers”
Taking your time is one of the main pieces of advice I would give. You have to let the children know you and trust you. You will learn to love them easily. Remember, they could leave at some point. I’ve experienced it multiple times, and it’s hard, but they are moving on, and you have to respect that and know that they will always be with you.
“I would aspire to become a foster carer someday in the near future”
I would like to always help out in the foster caring community as it is a big and increasing thing to this day. I respect people like my own who foster care. My mum originally started to help and give my brother support in his youth, and he helped out just like me. I would aspire to become a foster carer someday in the near future.
“respect for foster carers”
Foster carers should be respected as it’s not a 9-5 job, it’s a 24-hour commitment, always helping these kids throughout their day-to-day lives. Foster caring needs to be recognized as a service, not just a job. It’s challenging but takes pride and deserves respect. Luckily, we live in a kind world, and this is why we have many foster carers around the world who should all be hugely respected. Lastly, I want to thank all foster carers around the globe. Thank you.
