In this heartwarming and honest episode of Voices – The Origins Foster Care Podcast, host Eithne Larkin is joined by foster carer Sheila. Sheila has been fostering with Origins for over a year now, and in this podcast episode, she shares her journey with refreshing honesty – from the initial experience of going from a family of four to six overnight, to the routines she put in place to ease the children's transition into their new home, to the learning curve of caring for children from a different cultural background.
She speaks openly about the practicalities of hair care for children coming from a different ethnic background than her own family (and the community that helped her learn!), the importance of building practices into her daily life to help settle anxious little ones, and how her own children have grown through the experience.
When I was preparing the episode for publishing, I re-listened to the whole conversation but there was one truly heartwarming moment that stood out to me. In it, Sheila shares how, with the help of a very accommodating local play school, she helped the child in her care to make a friend:
I rang the local play school and I said 'I have a little girl here and she's after coming in through foster care. She really just wants to make a friend.' So I rang in December and in January, they fitted that little girl into school, which I thought was amazing. The second day she came home, she looked at me and she says, 'I'm after making a friend!' ...her whole face lit up, and since that day, she's been thriving.
This conversation is an absolute must-listen for anyone who wants to know how fostering impacts the whole family, how foster carers can make an impact with the smallest of gestures, and how children can grow and thrive in a safe and caring environment. It’s a story full of honesty, humour, challenge, and love.
Listen to the full episode below, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
If you've learned something useful in our podcast, please take a moment to follow and leave a five star review – it would mean the world! You can learn more about fostering with Origins Foster Care and take your first steps:
→ Learn more about the supports Origins provides every foster carer
→ Explore our Become a Foster Carer page to see how you can get started fostering
→ Join one of our upcoming online Fostering Info Sessions
→ Or Apply Online to Become a Foster Carer if you're ready to take the next step
Reach out for any questions and enquiries. A member of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
