Rebecca's Journey - I have loved creating memories with my foster carer

We caught up with Rebecca, who shared her experiences growing up in a fostering household, her fondest memories, her advice, and top tips for others who may need it.

A love for her hobbies

Rebecca loves playing her favourite video games, going to Dorset for weekends away, hanging out with her friends, playing with her pet cat, and doing the water-coloured artwork she loves to create, along with heading into town and her interest in manga.

Going back to the beginning

Rebecca told us that when she went to live with her foster carer, she was 12 and a half years old. She remembers when she first arrived at the home and felt very nervous at first as she didn’t know what it would be like as she was moved at very short notice. Rebecca recalls wearing a fake fur coat with lots of makeup while holding a toy snake of hers, which the household’s cat was very interested in, that helped break the ice, which was good. Rebecca then began to play with the toy snake with her new foster carer and the pet cat. All her nerves disappeared once she met foster carer L, got to see her room and began to relax while playing with the cat.

Fond memories made

Creating memories with foster carer L was a lovely experience Rebecca loved to be a part of. The theatre was one of the best memories Rebecca had, and she would go to watch plays with L. From this love of theatre, Rebecca went on to join a theatre group that put on their own production, of which Rebecca was proud to be a part of. More memorable moments included camping trips in the UK and days out to theme parks, which, although Rebecca was scared of the rides, she enjoyed going on. It was also the simple pleasures Rebecca enjoyed with L, like going out on bike rides and walks and generally spending time together, which was special.

The importance of support

Rebecca’s foster carer has been a huge advocate and support throughout the years. Rebecca recalls L having helped her find her voice and helped her learn how to stand up for herself. Helping her with anything she needed over the years. Rebecca is pleased that she was placed living with L and is part of the family. L has helped Rebecca build a relationship with her family to one that she feels comfortable with and helped Rebecca’s family to understand her needs and being able to listen to what Rebecca wants.

It is also important that Nexus Fostering supported Rebecca, and she told us the support from Nexus Fostering had been outstanding and has helped her with things such as understanding money and building her independence. Rebecca advises anyone transitioning into independence to keep an eye on their bank account often to help them budget their things and try to keep things clean and tidy.

Plans for the future

Currently, Rebecca is studying her Health and Social Care course at college and aiming to do well. Once she completes her course, she would love to do a job helping others. While studying, Rebecca has recently started learning to drive and is having driving lessons each week and is becoming a pro at moving forward. Rebecca hopes to have passed her driving test by next summer.

Hearing how our young people have flourished and enjoyed creating memories with their foster carers is fantastic and makes us extremely proud of our children and young people. If you think you can be a role model for our young people get in touch to start helping create positive outcomes - Contact Us | Nexus Fostering 

*Names have been changed to protect identities.