david and gill*
David and Gill are parents to two teenagers, and foster parents to three brothers, in Deeside, Flintshire.
the foster family
David and Gill have been married for 18 years, have a teenage son and daughter, and a passion for dancing – something they believe taught them communication and teamwork.
They both grew up in Deeside and were keen to give back to the local area they know and love.
“About five years ago, we all sat down together and talked about fostering. I had just turned 40, I had done quite a bit of volunteering and fundraising already. I’d help out driving the minibus and getting disabled kids to the swimming pool, but I wanted to do more.
“I couldn’t get out of my head the idea of helping children in some way. So, I spoke to Gill and the kids about fostering and they were on board with it.”
”fostering is a real community”
Before welcoming any additional children into their home, David and Gill thought fostering would be easy. After all they were parents and had a lot of experience. However, they have fully-embraced the support on offer and the local fostering community.
“I can’t say enough how important it is to have a good support network around you when you’re on this journey. The Local Authority fostering team have been brilliant, our social worker is always around to help and give us advice, and there is plenty of training for us to do.
“We’ve also made friends with other foster carers too. It’s a real community and it’s probably one of the things I love most about fostering.”
The family have been fostering three brothers for five years now, and have built a great bond.
“They’re great lads! They’ve given us so much love and good memories that will stay with us for life. We hope they feel the same.”
”they need to know they are worth it”
David and Gill believe the most important thing you can give a foster child is your time. As David says,
“Yes, you can feed them, wash them, give them nice clothes, lovely bedrooms and loads of toys, but you have to do more than that. You have to get down on the floor and play with them. They just want your time. They need love, warmth and laughter. They need to know they are worth it.”
want to start your own fostering journey?
Are you keen to help local children by providing a supportive home? If so, get in touch with our friendly team at Foster Wales Flintshire today to learn more about taking the first steps.
* Our fostering success stories are based on the real-life experiences of Local Authority Foster Carers in Wales. To protect their privacy, and the privacy of the children and young people to whom they provide care, love and support, all the names have been changed and actors have stepped in to help us tell their amazing stories.