From Engineer to Foster Carer: Liz's Journey to Supporting Parents and Babies Through Fostering

From Engineer to Foster Carer: Liz's Journey to Supporting Parents and Babies Through Fostering

Single foster carer Liz from Birmingham began her fostering journey with Nexus Fostering four years ago. She specialises in parent and child fostering, a unique type of care where a parent and their child, often a young mother and baby, stay in the foster carer's home to receive additional support and guidance.

After over thirty years in engineering, Liz's company underwent a restructure. Reflecting on this change, Liz said, "I knew if I was going to foster, I needed to do it now. Looking back, I wish I had done it ten years earlier." She described the fostering process as "relatively easy and informative."

Liz, 60, has had three parent and child placements so far: the first lasted two years, the second sixteen months, and her current placement has been ongoing for twelve weeks. She explains that each experience has been unique, saying, "My current parent and child are leaving next week, and she is ready to go home with her baby, which is lovely." The other two placements resulted in closed adoptions. Reflecting on those experiences, Liz shared, "Although adoption is the best option for the baby, I find the goodbye contact between the mother and baby the hardest part of my role, knowing they won’t see their baby again until they are eighteen."

Liz goes above and beyond in her role as a foster carer. "I teach the mothers the basics of parenting—cooking, budgeting, and taking care of a home—while always ensuring the baby is safe and well cared for. I also see my role as empowering the parent, as they are often victims of abuse or have experienced trauma in their upbringing. I take the time to learn about their interests and provide tailored support. For example, I arranged driving lessons for one mother and swimming lessons for another who couldn’t swim."

Liz has always dreamed, "If I won the lottery, I’d buy a big house and foster lots of children." One of her proudest moments was supporting her first parent, who was just sixteen when she arrived with her baby and had barely attended school. "I helped her through her exams, and the look on her face was unforgettable—she couldn’t believe she’d done it." Although that placement ultimately ended in adoption, Liz has maintained a close relationship with her.

Liz stays in regular contact with the baby from her second placement, with meet-ups and photo updates. She shares, "Another highlight for me is seeing a baby truly bond with their adoptive parents and leave happily with their new family. It's incredibly comforting to know I've played a role in getting them to that point where they can go to their forever home and have a bright future ahead. When I see the baby now, she is confident and glowing."

Due to a significant shortage of Parent and Child carers, many families aren’t receiving the support needed to stay together. Liz offers practical advice: “It’s important to stay up to date. Check the NHS website for the latest guidelines on feeding, changing, and bathing, as these recommendations change frequently. I usually have a pack of printed documents ready for when they arrive, with instructions like ‘How to bathe a baby’ and ‘How to make a formula bottle.”

Liz is looking forward to welcoming her next Parent and Child placement and encourages others to consider Parent and Child fostering, highlighting the need for more carers in the UK. “Nexus Fostering is fantastic; they provide comprehensive training and support for Parent and Child placements and encourage you to build a strong support network with other foster carers,” she says.

Could you become a Parent and Child foster carer and help a parent and baby stay together? Call 0800 389 0143 to speak to an advisor at Nexus Fostering or visit www.nexusfostering.co.uk to find out more.