Member News from The Children's Family Trust: Foster Carer stories – Fighting for change

​Societal prejudice that exasperates trauma
As a population we often forget that children are in care through no fault of their own, and we brand them with societally held prejudices that exasperates their trauma. Their actions when experiencing trauma (and the upheaval of everything they know) cannot be helped without the therapeutic support from a supportive, confident & well trained care giver.

We see daily how therapeutic and tailored support makes small, incremental changes in our children’s behaviour and attitudes towards their futures. Small changes that snowball into monumental moments that beforehand, seemed far out of reach.

Small changes create monumental moments.
This has been the reality for our North East foster carer Debbie and her foster daughter, SW. SW came to The CFT with a reputation as a bit of trouble-maker who frequently absconded from school. But through the hardwork of her care givers and her sheer focus and determination has turned her school life around and is now an A-Level student with hopes of becoming a primary school teacher.

Debbie wanted to share this fantastic milestone through our Andrew Turner Award which SW was awarded, acknowledging her unbelievable turn-around.

Here’s Debbie’s nomination in full –

When S came to us in 2021, she came with a reputation as a bit of a troublemaker in school, having been known to runaway. It was clear at the end of year 10 that this school was not suitable or meeting S’s needs.


We fought social workers, schools and all the relevant people who said moving her at this point in her studies was wrong.

We persevered and won the battle and S began her final year of school at a different academy. Despite changing some subjects, or modules it was clear if S was going to achieve at the end of the year (and prove that we were right to move her), that she was going to have to work very hard, and boy did she.

When many of friends were out socialising, S would be found with her head in her books, studying at any free opportunity she had.
She had to be encouraged to take a break, but she was determined. At the end of her school year she passed every single subject, and although she had to condense two years of study into just 9 months, she gained an average “6” in her subjects.

December last year S was invited back to school for an awards ceremony that we attended with her. S picked up 3 individual awards: Progress in Geography, Achievement in Food and Nutrition and Pastoral Team Award. S has now begun her A-Level studies with the aim of eventually becoming a primary school teacher. Hopefully S is as proud of herself as we are of her!!

Confident carers providing the best chance for children to thrive
As a foster carer with The CFT – Confidence is a huge part of ensuring as a team we provide the best outcomes for our children. Confidence means being steadfast in the face of adversity. Confidence means demonstrating that when you know something isn’t right, to fight for positive changes no matter the barriers.

We stand alongside our carers, who arguably get to know their foster children much better than any teacher or health professional ever could. Fighting for change meant SW had the best possible chance to make her future a reality, making positive choices at home and in school.

What an outstanding achievement.

If you can support a young person to reach their full potential – we want to hear from you.

Source:
https://thecft.org.uk/

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