‘We had a five bedroom house so had no excuse for not having enough room!’ Anne and Peter are foster carers for a brother and sister. Anne worked with children but felt that she wanted to do more with her skills.

‘We enjoy seeing the children develop and grow and knowing that the changes we are seeing in their behaviour, their attainment at school and their personal values are largely down to us and our providing consistent care.’

‘We took the boys initially on a short term placement, but when it became clear they wouldn’t be returning home we offered to take them long term. We’ve also had an emergency placement, a girl with learning difficulties who was a joy to care for.’

‘During the assessment process us not having our own children was raised and Peter lacked some confidence in his abilities to care for children. Also we weren’t sure if our house, not being perfectly decorated, would be a problem!’

‘Being able to celebrate the children’s achievements with them has allowed them to see how much they mean to us and how impressed we are with the changes they’ve made. We love the children and they are truly a part of the family – I don’t know what we would do without them.’