Twenty years ago, Wendy opened her front door knowing life would never quite be the same again. With three young children of her own and a house already full of noise and routine, she still felt there was space for more. 

 

What she did not know then was how deeply fostering would change not just her family, but the way she understood people, stories, and belonging.

 

Wendy and her husband, Jimmy had always loved caring for children. Friends who fostered, became a quiet source of inspiration. 

 

“We’d seen the good that they’d done,” Wendy says, watching children come and go through their home with care and dignity. Over time, it became something they felt they could do too.

 

They began by offering short breaks, sometimes for carers they already knew. Then an emergency placement arrived. Wendy quickly saw how unsettling repeated moves could be for children. 

 

“You could see that children need stability,” she reflects. From there, fostering grew into a longer-term commitment and, eventually, a way of life.

 

Over the years, fostering has changed Wendy’s perspective in ways she never expected. “It’s changed the way I think about parents and about situations,” she says.

 

She has worked alongside families from many backgrounds, including parents who, on paper, might be judged harshly. Many were navigating poverty, migration, cultural differences, or systems that felt overwhelming. 

 

Wendy speaks with particular warmth about working with immigrant families. “It’s about understanding where people have come from, the rules they’re trying to learn, and how different life can feel in a new country.” That understanding now sits at the heart of how she fosters.

 

Wendy and Jimmy, gaining confidence through their experience, and their compassion, have played a vital role in offering a loving home to children with disabilities and additional support needs. This is an area that Wendy feels really passionate about and feels that it should be important for people looking to foster to consider that they can do the same. Wendy said, “Supporting children with disabilities can be so rewarding. There are lots of children that have disabilities and it doesn’t take a nurse or a specialist to look after them in this role. There is training available and support on hand for anyone who wants to step up.”

Caring for the young people in her life that require that extra support is something which has had a profound impact in Wendy’s outlook, “These children give back so much. You also get to meet lots of parents and those who care for kids with similar needs, so that strengthens our drive and ability to do things right for them.”

 

Family life has always been central to Wendy and Jimmy. Friends and relatives were supportive, if understandably cautious at first. But their own children adapted with kindness and ease. They welcomed new arrivals, helped when they could, and grew up seeing fostering as part of everyday life. “We spend lots of time together as a family,” Wendy says. “That’s just what we do.”

 

Routine, boundaries, and reassurance guide Wendy’s approach. She keeps things predictable, explains changes clearly, and makes sure children know they can always come to her or Jimmy if they are upset. “Anything can be fixed,” she says. “We can try and sort anything out.”

 

Support has been key throughout. Wendy speaks warmly about Support Workers and the reassurance of 24/7 on call support. “I could pick up the phone as many times as I needed.”

 

If Wendy could challenge misconceptions around fostering, it would be that. “Some people think foster children have done something wrong. That’s rubbish. Foster kids are amazing. And don’t forget about kids with disabilities who need that same support in their lives too.”

 

And for anyone quietly considering fostering, her advice is simple. Talk to other carers. Ask questions. Find out what it is really like. You might just discover, as Wendy did, that you can do this.

 

If you want to learn more about fostering and the difference it can make to your life and the lives of children and young people - please click here.