Re your editorial (The Guardian view on fostering: reform is welcome, but excess profits must be tackled, 10 February), I’ll never forget the midnight feast that nobody ate. Four children sat shellshocked in my lounge, having just been removed from their home. They didn’t know or trust us. We tried our best to make them feel comfortable with cookies, doughnuts and crisps, but it would take several days before they were ready to tuck into treats.
Fostering has been one of the biggest privileges for my wife and me over the past 20 years. Against the background of unimaginable trauma and being let down by those who should have been caring for them, we have seen how children receiving consistent and persistent love, support and compassion can begin to rebuild their lives.
We have seen many children return home, while others have started a new chapter through adoption. Three children have become permanent members of our family, and while that is a joy, it means our home is full. It therefore breaks our heart to hear when children in care are being placed in another county, or separated from siblings, or housed in residential settings without family support.
So I am very pleased that fostering is finally getting some ambitious political leadership. Josh MacAlister, the children’s minister, has set a target of 10,000 new approved foster care places, and helpfully points to the Homes for Ukraine scheme as the inspiration for a sea change in fostering recruitment.
I am optimistic that, with robust support for the children, foster carers and children’s services, these 10,000 foster care places will be found. Every child deserves a family – a place to feel safe, seen and loved. Playing a small part in someone’s life in this way can make a huge difference. I have seen first-hand how rewarding this can be, and I highly recommend it.
Dr Krish Kandiah
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
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