Corby foster carer says fostering is about creating opportunities for young people
Alan Moorehead has fostered for over 10 years and is encouraging others to learn more at open evenings this month.
A foster carer in Corby is urging others to consider fostering as he says he's gained more than he's given back.
Alan Moorehead has fostered for over 10 years - and tells us what it's given him:
"Throughout my career, I've fostered some of the most vulnerable, and some of the most demanding kids in our our county. And it's it's been, it's been brilliant. Honestly, it really has. I've received I've gained a lot more, certainly emotionally and all that stuff than than I've given back."
He is currently what's called a resilience fosterer which is dealing predominantly with kids who are either in residential care or at risk of of going into residential care:
"So we work on the one to one basis basis on a therapeutic level and maybe have I think the best way. It's just accepting kids until they can accept themselves, so you know."
Alan says his experience has been very positive, and tells us what skills he think make a great foster carer:
"I think being calm, not being judgmental. Being empathetic, but just just having that drive to make a difference.
"Sometimes people do it when they're young. I got a bit older, my kids grew up and I thought, the coping strategies I developed as a dad could be beneficial to come up some up, some other lads."
Alan is encouraging others to attend two events this month to find out more about fostering.
They are aimed at people wanting to find out more information and meet our foster carers.
There's one Wednesday 15th October, 7-8:30pm at The Old Savoy Theatre, Northampton and one Thursday 23rd October 7-8:30pm at the Holiday Inn Express in Kettering.
He first discovered fostering at one of the open evenings:
"The good thing about an opening evening, you get resilience, you get kinship, guardianship, you get to speak to the social care workers you get to speak to some foster carers and you get to speak to some looked after kids.
"It enabled me to look at what sort of foster I'd like to do, and then the training that was involved that that helped me realise that it made the right decision on what type of fostering."