Foster 4 – Warrington Borough Council’s foster carer recruitment service – celebrates Father’s Day by recognising the contribution that fathers, foster fathers and father figures make to the lives of their children.
Fostering is an incredible, home-based, flexible and self-employed role that uses many different skills and provides great role modelling for children. With Father’s Day around the corner on Sunday 21 June, Foster4 asked some of their male foster carers in the lead up to Father’s Day to explain the immense satisfaction they get from of fostering.
Paddy and his wife Sylvia, who live in Warrington with their three children, have been fostering for just over two years. They considered becoming foster carers for a long time before eventually taking the plunge, being approved in 2018.
Paddy and Sylvia currently foster a four year old girl. She has lived with Paddy and his family for over a year and fostering has proven to be a hugely uplifting and positive experience, although not without a few challenges.
Paddy said: “Fostering can be very emotional at times and you need lots of patience and understanding. Fortunately, the provision of excellent training and good quality advice from our local authority fostering team really helped us to succeed.
“As a foster carer, I always try and ensure I’m a positive role model to a child who may not have had one in their life before. I can help to advise and guide them through life and demonstrate how being treated with kindness and respect are important qualities for them to follow.
“Being a foster carer is hugely rewarding and the benefits easily outweigh everything else. To see a child develop and grow as a result of your care is just amazing.”
Cllr Matt Smith, cabinet member for children’s services said: “In the lead up to Father’s Day, it is fantastic to hear such positive and inspiring stories from our male foster carers, and especially those that can be positive role models and influences for children in their care.
“Foster carers play such a valuable role in Warrington and we’d love to encourage even more people to consider taking their next steps into fostering. It’s special people, like Paddy, who really make the difference to the lives of our children and young people in the borough”.
Have you been spending more time at home with your own children during the coronavirus pandemic? Has it made you realise how rewarding it can be? If you would like the opportunity to be there for those children that have not had positive or fulfilling relationships in their lives, you can find out more about fostering at foster4.co.uk/enquire
Notes to editors
- Foster4 is a collaboration of four local authorities including Warrington, Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Halton, that recuits and supports more foster carers than any other organisation in Cheshire.
