For Foster Care Fortnight, we’re sharing what fostering really looks like, the routines, appointments, teamwork and everyday moments that help children feel safe and supported.
Katie and Paul are short-term, long-term, respite and emergency foster carers for Blaenau Gwent. For them, fostering doesn’t happen around family life, it becomes part of it.
This is fostering.
Finding a Routine That Works
Katie and Paul currently care for a child with disabilities and complex needs. Their days are shaped by physiotherapy, GP and hospital appointments, as well as weekly ALN groups. Alongside this, they also care for a baby, which brings health visitor appointments, medical checks and contact sessions several times a week.
With so much happening, routine is essential.
“Routine is key,” Katie says. “Without it, things would feel manic.”
Medication, appointments and contact sessions stay consistent, while everything else fits around them. Having that structure helps children feel settled and secure and makes it easier for any new child coming into the home to adjust to family life.
This is fostering — creating stability within busy days.
The Things People Don’t Always See
A lot of fostering happens behind the scenes. Alongside caring for children day to day, there are meetings, reviews, daily logs, diary planning and paperwork to keep on top of.
At times it can feel full on, but Katie and Paul see it as part of making sure children receive the right support, with everyone working together around them.
This is fostering — the care that continues long after the appointments end and the house quietens down.
Working Together for Children
For Katie, building positive relationships with birth families is an important part of helping children feel safe and supported.
“It goes easier and smoother for the children if everybody communicates and gets on.”
In the past, Katie has set up WhatsApp groups and shared communication books to help everyone stay connected and informed. It’s a simple but meaningful way of helping children feel supported by the adults around them.
One moment that stayed with her was receiving a Mother’s Day card from a birth parent, a small gesture that meant a lot.
This is fostering — supporting children through connection, communication and care.
Teamwork at Home
Katie and Paul work closely together, especially during more challenging moments. If there’s a hospital admission, they already know the plan, one stays with the child while the other packs bags and brings what’s needed. Having clear roles helps reduce stress and keeps things running smoothly.
Their own children are part of the journey too. They understand what fostering involves and are always included in conversations about what’s happening at home.
Some people say they would wait until their children are older before fostering, but Katie and Paul feel fostering has helped their own children grow into more kind and caring people. They enjoy helping and feel proud to be part of a family that supports others.
This is fostering — showing children, in everyday ways, what kindness and care look like.
The Small Things Matter Most
People often ask Katie and Paul how they manage it all. For them, fostering is simply part of family life, busy at times, but incredibly rewarding.
Sometimes Katie says it feels like they’re “not doing anything extraordinary” because every child is treated simply as one of their own. But fostering has shown them that the small everyday things, stability, patience, routine and being there consistently, can leave a lasting impact on a child’s life.
This is fostering — ordinary care that can mean something extraordinary to a child.
This Is Fostering
A week in the life of a foster carer isn’t always predictable. It takes flexibility, organisation, patience and teamwork. But Katie and Paul’s story shows that fostering isn’t about being perfect or having all the answers, it’s about showing up, creating a safe home and helping children feel cared for.
This Foster Care Fortnight, we’re sharing stories like theirs to help people understand what fostering really is.
This is fostering — and it could be part of your life too.
Interested in becoming a Foster Wales Blaenau Gwent foster carer?
Get in touch –
01495 369620
[email protected]
https://blaenau-gwent.fosterwales.gov.wales/
