Hello – we’d like you to meet Liana and her mum, Alison.
“I never let our foster children feel left out when I have my friends over. Everyone just gets along. And when they go it can be really sad, but we often stay friends and keep in touch.’’
That’s what Liana says. Liana is nine and she plays an important part in the lives of the children and young people her parents Alison and Tom care for with Fostering North Yorkshire.
“When we first talked to Liana about the possibility of us fostering, she was a little bit nervous – quite understandably,” said Alison.
“But once we had our first child to stay, she quickly learned that fostering was a great way for her to make friends and learn lots of new things. She really takes the lead now when we know we’ve got a new child coming to stay – she helps to tidy the room and make the bed. She also makes welcome banners for the door and provides a mini-tour of the house and garden!’’
Liana said: “Sometimes, if someone comes to stay and they have lots of difficulties, it can be harder at the start, but I work to make sure we become friends and then when we argue, it’s friendly just like brothers and sisters arguing. Before mum and dad started fostering I was a bit lonely as I’m an only child, but I’m never lonely now.”
Alison added: “When a foster child is ready to move on, Liana always makes a card and we all sit down to a special goodbye meal with them. We love our roles as foster carers and want to keep on making a difference for the young people we look after. And we’re so proud of the fact that Liana really wants to foster too when she’s old enough – and she’s set her heart on being North Yorkshire’s youngest ever foster carer!’’
Fostering also brings with it generous tax-free payments and allowances, and while this is not the main motivation for most foster carers, additional income streams can be very welcome. For example, an accredited foster carer receives over £300 per week – around £16k per annum for a child aged 11 – 15.
For more information about becoming a foster carer with Fostering North Yorkshire, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/fostering or call Fostering North Yorkshire on 01609 534654.