Change a life with Fostering

North Yorkshire foster carers speak openly about the joy of welcoming a young person into their homes in a new video produced by Fostering North Yorkshire.

Change a Life charts the emotional journey of both a young person in care and a foster carer based in North Yorkshire.

The five-minute video features interviews with local foster carers who openly and honestly share their thoughts, including the rewards of fostering alongside some tentative moments, when taking the leap of opening their homes and lives to a young person.

Watch the video:

One of the carers, Richard, said: “I am a great believer that what goes on in your childhood is likely to impact you for the rest of your life.” The film aims to highlight the positive impact fostering can have not only on the young person being fostered but also on the carer and their wider family.

Richard added: “I’m simply trying to form the better part of their childhood.”

Another carer, Jan, said: “Foster children are just like any other children, they have good days and bad days, they have their ups and downs. It’s about getting to know the child. Once you have been doing it for a while, you will wonder why you hadn’t done it before.”

Couple Chris and Devi wanted to offer the parenting skills they had learned.

“We enjoyed being parents, parenting, and we thought that’s something we can offer and give children in less fortunate circumstances a better start in life,” said Chris.

Devi added: “It’s rewarding, it’s like raising your own children, really. We are hoping that we have made a positive impact for them.”

The ongoing support offered by Fostering North Yorkshire is also highlighted, along with some of the skills, such as patience, that are integral to being a carer.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Janet Sanderson, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “Welcoming a young person into your home is among one of the most generous things anyone can do. It can also be one of the most rewarding and can offer a tremendous benefit to the young person, as our new video clearly shows.”

If you think you could change the life of a young person in North Yorkshire, go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/fostering to find out more about becoming a foster carer with Fostering North Yorkshire.

Watch Change a Life at https://youtu.be/FPxFVp3wtZc