Shaista and Mohammed – TACT Foster Carers since 2018
West Midlands
I have always been a very caring person and always wanted to make a positive difference in another person’s life, and I think this was what originally led me towards considering becoming a foster carer. TACT were recommended to us by family members who were also carers and came with extremely positive reviews, so we made the decision to apply to them ourselves. After going through the assessment process, we were approved as foster carers last year.
Since my approval, I’ve felt very supported by all at TACT. The first and only child we’ve fostered so far came to us about a month after our approval and ever since we’ve been incredibly supported by all in the TACT West Midlands team. Any issues or enquiries we’ve ever had, everyone is ready to help and there is always someone at the end of the phone 24 hours a day. The training provided to us has also been of great assistance; we always want to learn more and become better foster carers and the training massively helps with this.
My favourite thing about being a foster carer is being able to be a part of the TACT team and being in a position where I can make a positive difference to society. I get to witness and experience all the successes my young person achieves and it’s so rewarding knowing that I played a small part in that. He recently came home with stickers of success in maths, which is his favourite subject, so it felt like a huge success for me when I saw what he’d been able to achieve.
There can be challenges associated with fostering as well, sometimes including occasional forms of threats or violence, but the young people who come in to care have often come from dysfunctional or disorganised backgrounds so the reasons for this are understood. In general, I believe we’ve managed to create a solid foundation between us and the young person which is based on trust and respect.
Thankfully, the family recommendation we received was a great one. We’ve feel we’ve been supported throughout our journey, both by the family members who recommended us and the TACT staff who have great communication skills and provide us with excellent support. We feel the decision we made was the right one and we’d 100% recommend TACT to our friends.
My advice to people who are thinking about becoming foster carers would be to utilise the support networks around you – the support you get from your family and friends is vital. It’s also important to be flexible to whatever may come your way and to be patient; the time you take with understanding a child’s circumstances is incredibly important to helping them thrive.
For more information about fostering in the West Midlands, click here.
