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Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Fostering: Case studies
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Case Study 1 - The foster parents
Jim and Charlotte Telford are from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and have been fostering since 2007. They are registered with Renfrewshire Council to care for children aged 0 to 12 years old on a short term basis.
Here, Charlotte explains why she and Jim enjoy fostering.
Here, Charlotte explains why she and Jim enjoy fostering.
"We love having children round us and are a very child minded family," Charlotte explains. "Plus, having had five children and five grandchildren, we are used to our house being filled with kids running about! We had always thought about fostering and now that our children have grown up we have the space to start taking in foster children. Now our house feels like a home again with the hustle and bustle of family life. The foster children have been brilliant and we feel blessed that we are able to offer them a loving and stable environment for the time that we have them."
Jim and Charlotte's five children, who range in age from 24 to 35, have been really supportive of their parents' decision to start fostering. "Our grandchildren have really enjoyed getting to know our foster children and the kids love to play together when they visit us at the weekends," Charlotte said.
Jim and Charlotte were among some of the first to benefit from Renfrewshire Council’s improved foster carer allowance pay and support deal. "Although we have always wanted to foster, the new pay deal has made it financially easier for us," Charlotte said. "It has allowed me and my husband to reduce our working hours slightly so that we can spend our time with the children, which is ultimately better for them in the long term."
Although both Charlotte and Jim admit that their application process was thorough, and at sometimes quite personal, they both felt they were well supported throughout the process and received valuable help and advice from their dedicated social worker.
"I would advise anyone who is interested in child care or a career in care to think about fostering," Charlotte says. "It is extremely rewarding to see the children you're looking after developing and thriving, and the support we have received has been great."
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Case Study 2 - The foster child
Kevin Browne from Seedhill is a young man who has experienced fostering first hand after spending many of his younger years in foster care. He is a positive example of the benefits of fostering.
Kevin was fostered between the ages of 7 to 8 and 10 to 13 years. He holds special memories of his foster years, especially for the Crangles, who fostered him between the ages of 10 and 13.
He explains: "I really enjoyed my years with the Crangles. I built up a great relationship with them and felt part of their family. Staying there really worked for me, and with their support I was able to get on well with school and make some great friends. It was sad when I had to leave them, but I still keep in touch with them."
He explains: "I really enjoyed my years with the Crangles. I built up a great relationship with them and felt part of their family. Staying there really worked for me, and with their support I was able to get on well with school and make some great friends. It was sad when I had to leave them, but I still keep in touch with them."
In fact, Kevin established such a strong bond with the Crangles during his time with them that he continued to visit them every weekend after he left them and would go on holiday with them every summer. He still even visits them each year for Christmas dinner.
Kevin had such a positive experience in foster care that he himself would consider fostering in the future. When asked if he could see himself becoming a foster carer, he said: "Definitely. The experience really opened up my eyes to what fostering is. I always say if you want to make changes, then you have to go back into it yourself."
Kevin's positive fostering experience has left a lasting impression on him. His life experience has been influential in him choosing his career with the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People, where he now works.
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