Couple who fostered more than 100 children champion social worker’s support

A husband and wife who have cared for dozens of children over more than two decades say their social worker has “become a part of the family”.

They are speaking out to challenge misconceptions about social workers and encourage others to become foster carers.

Chris and Jane, from Neath Port Talbot, who are foster carers with Foster Wales, have fostered more than 100 children over 24 years.

“It is a journey, when you see the child coming in and you work really hard with that child and when you see the outcome it’s so rewarding,” Jane said.

Chris added: “A child’s life has been improved by coming to you, that’s the best part about being a foster carer.”

Misconceptions

Gerald Walker has been the couple’s social worker for the past six years but has been in the profession since 2010. In that time, he says he’s identified several common misconceptions he comes up against including social workers being viewed as “child snatchers” or wanting to break up families.

The family are keen to counter negative stereotypes of social workers and their role in the fostering process, to encourage more people to come forward and consider becoming foster carers.

“It can be a bit daunting if you’ve never worked with social workers before, but at the end of the day, when you meet someone like Gerald you realise the main priority is just looking after the children. He has been a consistent source of support, always at the end of the phone to give advice and he is loved by all our family.”

Gerald said social work for him is about ensuring every family has 24/7 access to support and creating personal connections with both foster carers and children.

“Seeing those children grow and reaching their potential, it is really touching and that is what social work is all about for me,” Gerald said.

“I want to thank all foster carers. All foster carers have a loving heart. They can share that love, they can share that experience and sharing that with the community I think more people will come forward to be foster carers.”

Overcoming challenges 

A new survey commissioned by Foster Wales found that nearly a third of foster carers said their view of social workers was formed by the media, with 27% of social workers believing potential carers fear being judged – and this is a barrier stopping people coming forward to be foster carers.

One anonymous social worker said in their response to Foster Wales’ survey: “Some people still believe social workers are only there to remove children from families and that they are paid extra to do so.”

This is at odds with the experience of Wales’ foster carers, with 90% of foster carer respondents said their social worker had either gone “above and beyond” in their role or helped them overcome a challenge during their fostering journey.

With over 7,000 young people in care across Wales, the need for more foster carers is increasingly pressing. Foster Wales, the national network of 22 Welsh local authority fostering teams, launched a campaign to recruit an additional 800 foster families by 2026.

Alastair Cope, Head of Foster Wales, said: “The research we have conducted has been important in helping us better understand the barriers that are stopping people coming forward to become foster carers. Stories like Chris and Jane’s highlight the amazing relationships that have flourished across Wales’ fostering community, and the change it can make in young people’s lives.

“Every day, foster carers across Wales use their skills, life-experience and knowledge to offer life-changing support to young people – but it’s important to recognise and highlight that as local authority foster carers, they can always rely on an experienced and extensive network of support around them.

“So, we really do encourage people who are thinking about fostering to get in touch today.”

For more information about fostering, or to make an enquiry, visit: https://fosterwales.gov.wales/