Member News from Barnardo's: “There’s a growing shortage of foster carers, and we felt we could help.”

For Joanne and McPhil from Northern Ireland, fostering with Barnardo’s has turned their lives upside down in the best possible way, bringing joy, challenges and blessings, not just for them, but for their four birth children too.

Two years into their fostering journey with us, the family has already made a lasting difference to the children they’ve cared for. They’re sharing their story in the hope it encourages you to consider opening your home to children who need care.

How their fostering journey started
For Joanne and McPhil, fostering wasn’t a quick or impulsive decision. It was something they thought about for years, waiting until the timing felt right for their family.

“We considered fostering when our children were younger, but it just wasn’t the right moment,” Joanne says. “Now that they’re older, we have the space and love to offer a young person.”

McPhil says their motivation was simple. “We just wanted to meet a child’s needs,” he says. “There’s a real shortage of foster carers, and we felt we could help.”

With four older birth children, fostering quickly became a whole-family conversation. “We talked it through together,” Joanne explains. “One of our daughters said she’d heard about a family of four going into care and told me, ‘Mum, imagine if that was us. I just couldn’t imagine it.’”

Click here to read the full article.

---