Mummy's Undeserved Blessings: Got Room to Spare? {Share Your Passion}

A couple of weeks ago I asked you all to share your passion with us all by guest posting on the blog. Today we have the first of our guest posts. Helen is a reader of this blog and has an amazing passion to share with us today.

Have you got room, in your heart and in your home, for a foster child or young person? Maybe you have seen advertisements in the newspapers or on television or heard them on the radio, as I did, and wondered if you could do that? Maybe you have lots of questions, fears, what if’s? That’s a great place to start!

I always knew I wanted to be a foster carer one day but I had four children of my own and you know how busy life can be! One day I was driving along in my car and I heard an advertisement for foster carers. There was a desperate need. My heart responded way before my head and I rang the agency, Marymead, when I got home. That was where my journey began.

I was a single mum who had always worked at home. My youngest child was fourteen, another twenty-five, another was married and another about to be. I realised I had the room in my home and the desire in my heart to make a difference in one or maybe two more young lives.

I was already in my fifties, so I didn’t ever imagine huge numbers of children. I knew I wanted long term care, not respite or emergency care. I knew I wanted girls because I already had an all female household and I felt I could offer a safe haven to girls.

I did the foster carers training course and found it informative and very helpful in considering the facts and the sometimes-harsh realities of children and young people in care. It is a comprehensive course and answers all your questions. Even the ones you hadn’t thought of yet!

During the training course I became even more inspired and looked at my spare bedroom and had visions of two little girls. I imagined they were siblings between 5-10 years of age. I have always been a positive thinker and a dreamer ; ) So I bought two white single beds, pink linen and a stuffed toy for each bed and I felt one step closer. I finished the training course, had the home visits and safety check, wrote my life story and waited for the phone call with some excitement and much trepidation.

The phone call came. She was fourteen and just needed a place to stay for three weeks. You always have some time to consider your options. I talked to my family and we all agreed to accept the placement. She arrived that afternoon. One very steep learning curve began.

The short version of what happened next would fill volumes, but suffice it to say here that she refused to leave after three weeks and was here for four and a half years. She recently returned to live with her birth family. Seeing her grow from an angry confused teenager into a lovely young woman has been a privilege. She is still a vital part of my family and always will be.

Two and a half years ago a visiting caseworker mentioned another little girl to me. I had begun to think I would only ever have one foster child! I wasn’t getting any younger! Anyway, after another family discussion, we welcomed Lisa into the family that very afternoon! She was eight. She will be eleven in October and she is an amazing little girl. (I did get two girls, just not quite the way I imagined, which is a bit like what foster caring is about.)

Her story would also fill volumes, so I will leave it there. I could not be a carer without my family and close friends, my fabulous caseworker and all the wonderful staff and other carers at Marymead and one exceptional caseworker from Child Protection.

Please seriously consider becoming a foster carer. I can say in all honesty that it is the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done. It has challenged me, inspired me, exhausted me and blessed me like nothing else could have.

Maybe there is one child out there who needs you and your family? Is there room in your heart, your home, your family?

I thank Lisa of Mummy’s Undeserved Blessings for this unique opportunity to my story.

Helen Jensen