GOING HOME

 As anyone who fosters knows; fostering can, from time to time, loom large in your home.

It's why Blue Sky sends one of their social workers to visit for a heart-to-heart once a month - or more often if needed - to make sure you're looking after yourself as well as your child.

No-one's alone in fostering.

I was putting a wheelie bin out when a nice couple walked past with a dog exactly like ours.

We chatted. She was a primary school teacher who'd thought about fostering but kept falling shy of taking the plunge. Shame, but I've heard it many times. I told her it was wonderful in so many ways. She said she was worried fostering would take over her life. I replied that fostering takes its place in the family home, not too much but not too little. 

Above all it brings something to the life of an innocent child.

I went inside and got on with the next job; repairing the broken garden step.The frost had got into the corner of the paving stone and it snapped off. Couldn't glue it back on, so I needed to shape a dollop of cement. I had bought a tub of quick drying. I found two offcuts of planks that could act as a frame, I just needed something heavy to prop them upright in place.

I found two old housebricks in the garden which needed to be taped to the planks.

I brought everything indoors and set up on the kitchen table on a sheet of old cardboard.

Middle foster child was hanging around the kitchen, probably hoping I wouldn't notice a fridge raid. He asked what I was doing. I explained.

Suddenly he went "Yuk!"

A little earwig/wood louse had crawled out of the brick and was trundling across the cardboard.

I grabbed the scissors and snipped off the bit of card with the little lady on it.

Then I picked it up and carefully headed out into the back garden. Child followed "Wotcha doin'?"

Me: "I'm taking her home."

Back in the kitchen child said;

"My dad; he squashes creepy-crawlies."

Me; "I try to get them home where they belong."

I think, and I hope that what I did sunk in.

And yes, in fostering we end up bringing light and warmth to the life of a child.

And much to our own life too.