Sue and her husband Duncan have been fostering for almost 23 years and during that time have experienced many highs and lows. The young people that have come to live with them have taught them an awful lot and the couple have learnt valuable life lessons which have stood them in good stead over the years.
As Sue explains “One of the things we learnt was that all of the young people who come to live with us have lots of things in common, but essentially they are all individuals who want to be valued and accepted for who they are. They respond when we invest in them, embrace us when we take an interest in the hobbies they want to do, and so we laugh with them, rejoice in their successes and pull them through as a family when they have their low points.”
“Over the years we have grown very fond of our eclectic family. Several years ago we decided to put into place a yearly celebration to celebrate the day they came into our family to live, so, straight from Alice in Wonderland we declared this special day their unbirthday birthday:-
‘Ones unbirthday should not be confused with ones half-birthday which only occurs once a year’
“On that basis, we have our very own “Mad Tea Party” on their very special day. Colin the Caterpillar (cake) makes an appearance every year whether you are 6 or 16! He is now a legend in our house in his own right! Please note there are other caterpillars with other names in various outlets available, but rest assured, any chocolate cake worth its salt will be gratefully received regardless of its origin!”
“As part of the celebration, the young person whose special day it is also gets to choose their favourite activity. Off we go on the designated day to their chosen activity which can range from visiting the local trampoline park to visiting a horse sanctuary – the choice is theirs, obviously within reason!”
“Throughout our time as foster carers we have laughed, we have cried and we have learnt many lessons from the young people who have come to live in our family, but overall the rewards have far outweighed the down times. Colin returns every year, continuing to delight our young people on their special day, making special memories for them and family traditions for us all. We can honestly say we wouldn’t change it for the world!”