My husband and I provide respite care through the Family Link scheme and we’re also registered as foster carers.
When we first registered nearly 40 years ago, I was working three days a week as a teacher. It was helpful to have some flexibility, so some days I would be at home and take the children to school and some days my husband would do it.
I was a teacher working in a special school and I’d heard about the Family Link scheme. Because I’d always worked with children with medical needs, it seemed like the area to focus on. We’ve had a range of children over the years with many different conditions, but because of my own professional experience, I felt confident enough to do it.
The amount of support we provide varies from child to child – for some it might just be an after-school pick-up and tea once a week, for others it could be two or three nights a week.
We have a social worker who knows us well. When we have space for another child, we’ll sit down with her to talk about who might be suitable for us. We’ll then get some information about them, sort of like a pen picture, so that we know what their needs are, and we can decide whether we might be able to support them.
We’ve had Family Link children on overnight stays here and foster children at the same time, as well as our own three children. Our own children and now our grandchildren all get on well with the children that we have cared for.
We’re still in contact with many of the children we’ve cared for and friends with some of their families too. You build up a relationship with them, especially the ones that you have for longer periods. And it creates a bond with families because they have trust you with their child.
