Stacey Solomon and her husband Joe Swash have already discussed the idea of fostering a child one day, following Joe's "heartbreaking" delve into England’s crumbling children’s care system in a new BBC documentary.
Former EastEnders star Joe was moved to tears following the Government review into kids’ social care, which found the system has been deplorably underfunded for more than a decade sparking a very emotional response from the dad-of-four.
The Mirror reports the 33-year-old actor also has very personal reasons for wanting to get involved and help in any way he can as his mum Kiffy has been a foster carer for 15 years as Joe and Stacey now plan to look into the option.
“I wanted to do more for them,” he sighs. “There’s not much I can do apart from shining a light on the situation and that was a real struggle. I just wanted to take them all home with me, I just wanted to parent them, but I couldn’t, which was sad.
“Anyone who met these teenagers would come away and feel guilty and feel like they’ve let them down in some way.”
Joe's focus is on helping older teens that are due to leave the care system and end up unprepared for adulthood with many of those only 18 years old having no family or support network at such a tender age leaving them often isolated.
Many youngsters end up lured into crime gangs, with statistics showing they are more likely to land up with a criminal record and be groomed.
Joe spoke of his pride at his widowed mum Kiffy looking after his foster brother Daniel for 10 years, since he was eight, and helped him get into university – despite none of her own three kids making it.
Joe tells her: “If it wasn’t for you, no one would have seen Daniel’s potential.”
Kiffy replies: “We love him. he’s always going to be part of our family. Look at Dan now. He’s a confident, handsome, intelligent, stable, loved child. And it shows. My work is done.”
The review’s chair, Josh MacAllister warns that without major investment, in a decade there will be 100,000 children in care in England with the fastest-growing group being older teens, with an increase of 37% in the last decade alone.
Joe, who also won I’m a Celebrity and Dancing On Ice, is moved to tears. “I found it difficult leaving them, then coming home to my family, and having a laugh and feeling the love and warmth of my house,” he explains. “I felt guilty.”
TV star Joe says he and Stacey, both 33, have discussed fostering. They already share three children – Rex, four, Rose, one and four-month-old Belle. Joe also has a son, Harry, 15, from a previous relationship and is stepfather to her sons Zachary, 15, and Leighton, 11.
“When the kids are old enough, we’ll think about fostering,” Joe says. “We love kids and Stacey is on the same page as me. She watched my mum’s journey, she’s watched Daniel’s journey. She’s been a massive support.”
Joe hopes his TV journey might encourage others considering fostering to take the plunge, adding: "“Hopefully it will open people’s eyes. The quicker we replace the system that really is broken, the better.”
“The system needs to change. As a society, we owe it to them. At 18 to 21, I wasn’t a fully grown adult. I needed my mum and my extended family there to help me. You can only imagine what these kids are going through at 18," Joe pleads.
“There’s no support for them. Once you fall though that net there’s not many people there to catch you. We’re setting them up for failure.”
Joe Swash: Teens in Care will air on July 11 at 9pm on BBC1
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
Stacey Solomon feels like a 'zombie' in brutally honest breastfeeding update
Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out hit with over 1,500 complaints over animal cruelty
Stacey Solomon shares Instagram video of sweet moment Rose meets baby sister Belle
Stacey Solomon an 'emotional mess' as she shares baby Belle update on Instagram
