Jane is a single mum of two now-adult children. Jane is a full-time foster carer and is approved to look after two children. One child lives with Jane on a long-term fostering arrangement (until the child is grown and ready to move out). Jane also provides short-term foster care as she has two spare bedrooms.
Jane recently talked about why she decided to become a foster carer; what the application process was like and what she thinks about the fostering community in the Bradford district.
Why did you choose to become a foster carer
Bringing my own children up has been my most rewarding role. Becoming a foster carer seemed the next natural step to take when they grew up.
Jane explained that she chose to only speak to Bradford Council* because she wanted to be part of and support her local community, look after children from Bradford and foster for a not-for-profit organisation, unlike some independent fostering agencies that put profit before children.
*When Bradford Children and Families Trust was formed in 2023 to run children’s social care on behalf of Bradford Council, Foster for Bradford became part of the Trust. Foster for Bradford still look after the children and young people of the Bradford district in foster care.
How did you find the application process?
I never felt judged. I honestly felt my assessing social worker did not want me to fail. It was a very positive process.
Jane told us that her assessment social worker became someone she enjoyed chatting to. The social worker was very honest and interested in Jane’s life.
“The social worker listened and acknowledged how I dealt with my own challenges in a positive way, encouraging me by telling me I had skills I could transfer to the fostering role.
“She was very honest in what the role involved, and gave me answers to questions or supported me in how I could get answers, always replying in a reasonable time scale.
“The key for me was not to rush with ‘how soon’ and ‘why’ questions: enjoy the process; do not overthink things; and make sure you understand everything.
“It worked very well for me and I looked forward to our sessions.”
“Foster for Bradford needed to understand all areas in my life – it was not a personal critique of me and my life if they challenged my answers.”
Did you have any worries or doubts before becoming a foster carer?
My biggest worry was how fostering would affect my birth family. They needed me to give them honest facts, both the good and the bad, to help them understand the challenges ahead for us all to be able to make it work successfully.
“I had some worries and doubts before becoming a foster carer, but there’s lots of available information about the support you receive as a foster carer as well the work we did during the application process helped me understand how to deal with any concerns.”
What support is there for foster carers?
There’s lots of support, both formal and informal, for foster carers working with Foster for Bradford.
You work closely with your supervising social worker who knows you really well and visits regularly to make sure everything is working well. They are also available by phone and email during office hours if I have a question or need some information. Outside of office-hours, there is an emergency duty system for support.
The children being fostered also have their own social worker, who will visit and talk about how the foster carer can meet the child’s needs.
Foster carers have a personal development plan that identifies the individual training needs as well as the statutory training that foster carers have to do, like first aid, safeguarding and safer caring.
Foster for Bradford has 3 Mockingbird hubs and there are more planned for 2025. Mockingbird is an innovative approach to foster care that creates extended family-style support networks. This model strengthens relationships, improves stability, and enhances the wellbeing of both carers and children. Foster carers can join a Mockingbird hub with up to 9 other fostering families to receive peer suport, guidance and training – it’s like having a great big fostering family.
There’s also a therapeutic social work team that foster carers can meet with to help understand why a child might be behaving a certain way and what the foster carer can do to support the child.
The Bradford fostering community
Informal support comes from fellow foster carers – it’s an active fostering community in Bradford.
Foster for Bradford has an enrichment team that put on lots of events for foster children, fostering families and even the children of foster carers to provide opportunities for everyone to come together, support each other and build a strong community.
And there’s BIFCA, Bradford’s independent foster carer association, run by Bradford foster carers. They organise coffee mornings across the district with key note speakers, as well as fun things like parties and days-out. There’s a walking group that meet every week, whatever the weather, to walk and talk and usually involves coffee and cake afterwards.
Jane said:
“Like any community, you have to dip your toes in to get support or meet people. I have been proactive in joining things and supporting others.
The Facebook group is very positive, and people work very hard to arrange things.
It works well for me – I can dip in and out and not feel pressured to join everything, but I am aware it’s available.”
What advice would you give someone considering fostering?
I advise anybody considering fostering to listen, read, ask questions and discuss with their family everything you can about a potential placement. Do not rush to get someone in your home.
You need to be honest to yourself for the placement to work. Children in care do not want saving, just supporting.
Children need to have their own space to deal with their emotions. They will come to you when they are ready. As a foster carer, you need to support and reassure them.
There is so much to learn. Read and ask questions – every child is an individual.
Would you like to learn more about fostering in Bradford?
We believe fostering can change lives, whether a child is with you on a short-term or long-term basis.