Jenna's Fostering Journey: Getting Started - Changing Futures Fostering
My Fostering Journey

Jenna’s Fostering Journey: Getting Started

Follow Jenna’s journey as she documents her way to becoming a foster parent. This week, Jenna talks about what January looks like, and how she made the first step on her fostering adventure.

Hi! My name’s Jenna, and I currently live Darlington. I’ve been a school teacher for the past 15 years, and although I loved by job, I was definitely ready for a change.

I have been considering becoming a foster parent for a while now, but I was a bit unsure if I could even apply! I am single and don’t have any children of my own. I know different people have different motivations to foster, but I just wanted to help give a child the best start they could have. Being a teacher, I knew the importance of children having a stable home so they can reach their potential.

As it is the new year, I thought if I don’t do it now, when will I? Coincidentally, I saw a friend share a post about Changing Futures and decided to get a bit more information about themselves as an agency. I wanted a bit more information about fostering and what the process and support would look like if I decided to apply. I sent an email and the agency got in touch with me the next day.

Sarah, the fostering manager, gave me a ring just for a chat about fostering. I told her a bit about myself and why I wanted to foster. She took some details, and we planned a home visit. Sarah briefly talked to me about the types of fostering, the support I would be offered, and what it means to be a therapeutic foster parent. It was a lot to take on board, but Sarah reassured me I wasn’t committing to anything yet and the agency wanted to help me explore my options and how fostering would work for me. I got a lot of information out of call, and I feel like it is definitely the right time to apply.

After our chat, I did a little bit more research into fostering, especially on the training. I love the fact that the agency is not-for-profit and re-invest all their money into helping families. That was really important to me. When I was researching agencies, I knew they had to match by values and beliefs, and I feel Changing Futures represented my own ethos.

I got plenty of information, and we’ve arranged a home visit booked in. I am a little bit nervous, as I feel like I’m finally starting my fostering journey. But there’s definitely a sense of excitement!