Meet our Foster Carers
Delrose and John
Delrose and John have been fostering since 2012. Delrose was attracted to fostering as a mother who is loving and caring and has always loved children. Delrose previously worked as a teacher and then in a bank where she mentored bright but troubled adolescents. She decided to explore fostering after friends and neighbours pointed out, she would be a perfect carer.
When a new child arrives, Delrose says it’s vital to remember that trust takes time. Many children carry difficult experiences, so empathy, consistency and patience are essential. For her, fostering is incredibly rewarding, moments like receiving a handmade card from her foster daughter, Destiny, reminds her why she does it.
Destiny lived with Delrose and John from age nine to eighteen. She remembers feeling welcomed but also given clear boundaries. Although she tested them at first, their calm guidance, listening and support helped her grow. As she got older, they continued to encourage her from helping with her CV to building her confidence while she looked for work.
Destiny’s message to future foster carers is simple: “some children hide their struggles. What they need most is someone willing to listen, support them, and stand by them through it all.”
Don and Bernie
Don and his wife Bernadette have been fostering teenagers in Newham for over six years and describe it as one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. While caring for vulnerable young people can be challenging, knowing they’re making a real difference keeps them motivated.
They highlight the thorough training and strong support provided by Newham’s fostering team, as well as additional networks like Fostering United Newham (FUN), a peer‑led group offering practical advice to carers.
Since the pandemic, the mental health needs of young people especially those in care have increased. Don believes fostering now is one of the most community‑spirited acts anyone can undertake. For them, the biggest reward is bringing stability, security and happiness to a young person’s life: “Putting a smile on a face where there once wasn’t one is reason enough to be a foster carer.”
Tahira and Haseeb
Tahira and Haseeb, both in their 30s, have been fostering for over five years. When they began their journey, they had an 18‑month‑old daughter, and Tahira had just left her NHS role to be a full‑time mother. She says, “I felt able to make a change and a difference in a child’s life.”
Haseeb works as a teacher in a special needs school in East London, where he often meets children in care who have struggled without support. He explains that “some children just need guidance and a chance,” and together they felt ready to offer that stability.
Since then, they have welcomed 16 respite placements and one long‑term placement lasting over three years. Most of the young people were teenagers, each bringing different needs and experiences. Their first foster child, a 14‑year‑old girl, arrived feeling isolated and mistrustful. “She didn’t trust anyone and was very insecure,” Tahira recalls. “Some days she would refuse to go to school, but we would simply talk to her and guide her communication is key.”
Over time, they watched her confidence grow. She began playing with their daughter, helping with cooking and shopping, and gradually, “she felt like a family member.”
As they reflect on their journey, they share that fostering “requires a lot of patience, resilience and confidence,” and that young people “just need love, attention and support in day‑to‑day activities.”
They emphasise the strong support they’ve received along the way, adding: “Social workers are here to support both the carers and the young person, and plenty of training is given.”
For them, the greatest reward is seeing the difference they can make. As they put it, “Seeing a child in care being happy is a great feeling it’s a very rewarding job.”
Sue Price
Sue Price has been fostering babies for eleven years, caring for newborns to three‑year‑olds from her home, which she shares with her partner Neil and their three children. She began fostering as a way to stay at home with her young family and quickly discovered how rewarding the role could be.
Sue describes her early experience as “a baptism of fire”, but says it helped her build confidence, develop new skills and understand the kinds of placements that best fit her family. Many of the babies she cares for have regular contact with their birth mothers, and she has supported children with a wide range of needs from low birthweight and medical conditions to healthy newborns.
Fostering babies, she emphasises, is a full‑time commitment, and taking breaks between placements is important for family balance. As the main carer, she values the support she receives from Neil and the children.
Despite the challenges, Sue finds deep satisfaction in the role. “I do get a salary, but I also do it for the love of it,” she says. Watching babies reach their milestones and thrive is the part she treasures most. Saying goodbye is never easy, but Sue takes pride in preparing each child to move on as “happy, confident little people.”
