Meet Shirley- Shirley has been fostering for Barnsley Council for eight years and describes herself as “as quite level headed, resourceful, fun-loving and straight talking”. We caught up with Shirley and asked her to share her experience of being part of the fostering community in Barnsley. Here is Shirley’s story in her own words.
“Foster children have been a part of our wider family for years, as my sister and brother-in-law fostered. It was something I’d thought about a lot, so when my personal circumstances changed, I decided to go for it and [her fostering application] was approved in 2016.”
“It was Valentine's Day when my first child joined our family, she was quite a character and I jokingly called her My Funny Little Valentine. She used to laugh when I often pointed out that most people got chocolates and flowers on Valentine's Day, but instead I got my 11 year old ‘Funny Little Valentine’, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way! She stayed with me for almost two and a half years.”
“My next adventure was quite a challenge, a four-year-old boy who was a ball of energy and stress. He’d found it hard to settle in numerous previous placements, but when I met him and got to know him a little, I fell in love with him forever. Over a period of six months, I worked on building up a relationship with him. I wanted it to be his idea to come and live with me.”
“My current adventure arrived on my birthday in 2021. She was also just four years old...She arrived having no idea how to be herself, it was like walking her out of a dark room and putting her into a bright, sunny garden and she’d absolutely no idea what to do! That was my mission, to show her how good it was to be her, the fun she could have and most importantly, how to use her voice!”
Like to know more about fostering? Download our info pack by clicking the link below and discover how you could experience the magic of fostering with Barnsley. You can also book a call back with our fostering team who will tell you more about fostering and answer your fostering questions.
