Kat’s story

Kat shares her story of how her passion for supporting children led her to us.

Fostering had been on Kat’s mind for years before the right moment came along

Kat shares her story of how her passion for supporting children led her to us. Before she started fostering, Kat was a Safeguarding Lead. This meant she was the point of contact to protect children at the school she worked for. Kat and her partner had been considering fostering for years before they started. It wasn’t until an unexpected situation at work that they decided to move forward. 

One day, a child at Kat’s school needed urgent support. While it’s not typical to link children with carers this way, the request made Kat realise the time was right. 

That child became their first placement- and the start of their journey as foster carers.

Choosing to foster babies felt like the right fit for their family 

After their first experience, Kat and her partner became foster carers more formally. They now care for a baby girl too. They chose to focus on babies and young children because it suited their lifestyle and felt right for the kind of home they wanted to offer. Kat had seen how important stability was during early childhood. She wanted to give young children the best possible start.

She told us, “The little steps of progress that children make while you’ve got them with you make your heart swell. You feel a sense of achievement and pride that is unreal.”

Kat and her partner felt supported from the start

Kat’s approval happened very quickly, but that didn’t mean they missed out on any support. Kat’s previous experience meant she had already done some safeguarding training, but her partner was new to it all. They completed their Skills to Foster training together and found it to be a valuable part of their journey. The group sessions gave them the chance to connect with other carers, ask questions, and build a support network.

Kat explained: “Face-to-face training in a group setting is absolutely amazing. You make friends with other foster carers, you make your own little support network, and that’s where you get your strength from.”

Their Supervising Social Worker was also a big source of encouragement and support: “She kept us motivated and prepared us for the things to come.”

Kat's advice to those considering fostering is to go for it

Kat encourages anyone who has thought about fostering - even just a little - to take the next step. “Do it. If it’s in the back of your mind to do it, go for it. It’s worth every bit of the time that you commit to it.”