We Got Approved To Be Foster Parents!

Hello Everyone;

I have some amazing news to share with you guys. Some of you know that my partner and I have been going through the process of being my sister's foster carers. It has been a long and invasive process as they needed to know so much about our personal lives.

We both had to talk a lot about our childhoods and our teenage years, it brought back a lot of uncomfortable feelings and emotions but we both did it.

As of the 20th of December, we got approval from the fostering panel!!! I am over the moon with the result!! I honestly thought that my mental health problems would be a big problem with the fostering panel but I now know how to manage my EUPD, I know when I need to seek help, which is something I wouldn't know how to do for years ago. The fostering panel was so nerve-wracking it's unreal, they all had the chance to read through all of the paperwork, when we were in the panel meeting itself they were asking us questions about how we would deal with certain situations.

The whole process is long and very stressful but luckily we both had an amazing fostering social worker and our workplaces have been so understanding about the whole situation.

When we told my sister the amazing news she was overjoyed, We tried to make it sound like something really serious but we couldn't hold in the excitement. She was so happy!! When I found out the news I cried at work, I was so emotional and just so happy that the whole thing was over. The days following up to the decision email we got was the worst, it was the not knowing that was driving me insane, I kept thinking about what this would do to her if the result wasn't what we wanted. But luckily it was an amazing outcome.

We want to make sure she knows that she is loved and wanted. She has always told My partner and me that she feels at home with us so she now knows she won't be going anywhere.

I can't believe we have come this far, seems so surreal to be honest. Yes, we have all struggled through the whole process but we have gotten through it and we are even stronger than before. She has helped us grow up a lot more, we now have her to look after. She came to us when she was 13-years-old.

We have had some rough times through this, but we have managed to speak to each other about our feelings. We have always told her that we would never stop her from seeing her Mother and Father and we stick to that today. We try and encourage her to see them but sometimes it can be hard, but we will be through it all with her. She is in year 11 now and all I want for her to do is her best. She has so much potential to do such an amazing job in school. She is so bright that I believe she can achieve anything she sets her mind to.

She has already proved herself, she applied for college on her own, got accepted!! We didn't even know she applied until she came home that evening and told us! I was shocked but so proud of her for thinking of the future.

Soon it will be her 16th Birthday and we want to make a massive deal out of it so I best get organizing!! Any good suggestions of what to get her? Help a girl out!!

Stay safe everyone