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Irish Times
23-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Foster carers wanted: ‘You can be over 55, gay, single, a job seeker, of ethnic minority, and be a carer'
They say that raising a child takes a village, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have the help and support they need. And some people, for a variety of reasons, are unable to take care of their own children. There are more than 5,000 children and young people in State care across Ireland with almost 90 per cent of these living with foster carers. Nicola Rowntree Carroll and her husband, Gerry, have been welcoming children into their home for almost two decades and say it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. 'When we first got married many years ago and it seemed unlikely that we would have our own children, we thought about fostering,' she says. 'But then we did become parents – to Sarah Louise, David and Emma – and we put it on the back burner for a while. Then, one day, both myself and Gerry happened to be listening to an interview on the radio about fostering. He was at home and I was at work, and coincidentally we both heard it. There was a call-out for foster parents, and we said, 'You know what? Let's do this.' That was about 18 years ago and we have been doing it ever since. The importance of foster care Listen | 68:58 In Ireland, more than 5,500 children are currently in foster care. We hear from two foster carers, Sinéad O'Donnell and Sharon Kelly, who tell Róisín Ingle why they wanted to open up their homes, the challenges involved and what advice they would give to anyone considering becoming a foster carer. 'In that time, we have fostered four children. Our first placement was a seven-month-old baby boy, who was an amazing little character who took to Gerry from the moment he came into the house in the arms of the social worker – I'd say he sat on Gerry's hip for a whole year. It was a wonderful experience all round, particularly as he went home at the end, which was just fantastic.' READ MORE Their next placement was a teenage boy, who came to their house in an emergency situation and stayed on for some time, ending only after tensions arose between the children. 'We would have loved to continue working with him, but he was the same age as our own son and conflicts had begun, so in terms of protecting our own child, unfortunately, the placement had to end,' says Nicola, who is a rape crisis worker. Nicola Rowntree Carroll. But their household numbers changed again as, shortly afterwards, they took in two brothers. 'We've had this foster placement of two teenage brothers, Andrew and Tristan, for nine years now,' she says. 'They are a long-term placement and will always be with us – they really are part of the furniture now at this stage.' The two brothers have integrated seamlessly into family life, and Nicola says they are blessed that everyone gets on so well, as this might not always be the case. 'Looking after the baby first was kind of handy because he wasn't going to be into anyone else's toys or anything like that, so it wasn't difficult,' she says. 'I had thought that it might be an issue for our youngest with [feelings of] displacement, but it was fine. There were issues with the second placement, but this is often the case with everyone trying to find their space within a new home. But we are really blessed with the boys, as all the children get on – and fight – like siblings. 'Of course, there are lots and highs and lows with fostering, regardless of the situation, and one of the things that we learned really early on from a social worker was to celebrate the small things. So that is something that we always try to do. But we have also been really lucky because we're now celebrating big things with the boys as well. 'Also, things have been very positive with regard to the boys' mum, as I have a fantastic relationship with her. This can be quite unusual and has been hard work – she has had to see someone else bringing up her children, which cannot be easy for any mother, but we have really worked very hard and meet each other every two weeks for coffee or lunch, a catch-up and a chat. I will text her when things happen with the boys, even simple things like going to the GP or if they have done well on a test or an exam, and I'll send photos. 'This has also made a huge difference for the boys, because they are not competing or protecting either situation – so in the house and on their phones, and she is referred to as 'Mum One', and I am 'Mum Two'. And with regard to any major decisions, I will run everything past Mum One before we say yes or no to it. That has been an absolute high, and has also been such a positive experience for all of us. I know Mum One would agree and say exactly that same thing, that it's not about us, it's all about the children.' If you have space, and time, and a little bit of room in your heart and in your mind, think about fostering June is National Fostering Awareness Month. 'The theme is 'Fostering Is for You', in which we want to address the myths around fostering eligibility,' says Jacqueline Smyth, Tusla national lead for foster care. 'You can be over 55, gay, single, a job seeker, of ethnic minority, etc and be a foster carer. Many people don't realise this and were ruling themselves out. 'There is an ongoing need for carers across the country. And it is important that the pool of available carers is both diverse and geographically spread to assist children in staying in their communities. Each child will have differing needs, and so a variety of family types is also important; quiet homes and busy ones, homes with children and those without, are all required. 'People often believe that fostering is something that is outside their range of skills when, in fact, what foster children need most are homes which are stable and filled with kindness and love. The love and care is the same as if you were looking after your own child or family member.' 'As part of National Fostering Awareness Month, we are asking people from diverse backgrounds, in communities across Ireland, to consider providing all types of foster care,' says Smyth. 'It could be respite care on weekends, even one weekend a month. It could be an emergency placement, or a longer-term placement for children and young people who cannot, for various reasons, live with their birth families.' Meanwhile, seasoned foster carer Nicola urges people to consider taking in a child as it could make such a difference to their life. 'If you have space, and time, and a little bit of room in your heart and in your mind and you want to make a positive difference to a child's life, think about fostering,' she says. 'I would encourage anyone considering it to get in touch with other foster carers. There are branches, hubs and support groups, so go talk to them and to foster carers in your local area. Find out what the supports are like and get in touch. Don't dismiss it, just think about it, because if you've considered it, then fostering is probably for you.' For more information on fostering, see or call freephone 1800-226771 to be connected with a social worker in your local area who can talk to you about what is involved and what might work for you
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kate Middleton Shares New Message After Dropping Out of Royal Ascot Appearance
Kate Middleton has written a poignant message to children's hospices, saying it was an "immense privilege" to see their work The Princess of Wales, 43, praised them for lifting the spirits of children and families "through life, death and beyond" Her June 20 message, as Children's Hospice Week draws to an end, came six months after she took on the role of patron to a hospice in South WalesKate Middleton is showing her support for kids' hospices in a poignant week. In a new message issued on Friday, June 20, the Princess of Wales praised how hospices 'lift the spirits' and support seriously ill children and their families through 'life, death and beyond.' She said it was an 'immense privilege' seeing the work up close of two hospices, with East Anglia's Children's Hospices and Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice, during her visits as their patron. It came in a week when Princess Kate, 43, dropped out of an expected visit to the Royal Ascot race meeting on Wednesday. Kate is still managing her return to public-facing duties amid her recovery from cancer treatment. In her message on June 20, Kate wrote, 'No parent expects to hear that their child has a serious health condition that could shorten their life. Sadly, this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the country, leaving them heartbroken, fearful of the future and often desperately isolated." 'Being able to access the support of one of the U.K.'s 54 children's hospices means they don't have to face that future alone," she added. 'As Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales, I have the immense privilege of seeing for myself the extraordinary work of our children's hospices," she said. "Lifting spirits through laughter, fun and play, as well as listening, holding, caring and sharing, they support children and families through life, death and beyond." "This Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the life-changing work they do and thanking them for the vital care they provide to children and families experiencing the most challenging times," Kate concluded. Support for children's hospices has been an ever-present part of Princess Kate's public work since she started in public life soon after marrying Prince William in 2011. She has also visited hospices around the world during her overseas tours. During Children's Hospice Week, which ends on June 22, the charity Together for Short Lives brings together the vital services to celebrate the incredible work they do for seriously ill children and their families. Kate made her first visit to Tŷ Hafan in January, spending more time than she was scheduled, crouching down, talking to youngsters and their families and joining in with the games. Tŷ Hafan — which means "Haven House" in Welsh — is located in Sully, South Wales, and was built with the support of Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana. Tracy Jones, the director of family well-being services who showed Kate around, said on the day of the visit in January, 'She immediately gravitated to the children and families — she spent quality time talking to every child and their parents.' 'It's been the most inspiring visit,' Jones added. 'She crouched down and was straightaway on the level of the children. If they were in a wheelchair, she crouched at that level. If they were on the floor, she would be at the level,' she continues. 'We were seriously impressed with how she could stay in a crouch, as it's not that comfortable!" "She instinctively seemed to know where to touch a child that was going to provide the connection, but not cause any distress or startle a child. She was looking at the children, even if she was talking to the parent. It's what we do, as we're used to working with children who are nonverbal," she added. Nick Carroll, CEO of Together for Short Lives, praised Kate's "ongoing support for Children's Hospice Week over many years [that] has helped to raise much-needed awareness of the life-changing work children's hospices do, every day of the year." "Their extraordinary lifeline care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses enables families to make the most of their lives together, whether that's for years, months or only hours," he said. 'Together with all the children's hospices, we thank the Princess of Wales for her invaluable contribution.' Irfon Rees, Chief Executive of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice, said in a statement on June 20, 'Her Royal Highness is clearly profoundly committed to the needs of children and young people, and in January, during her first visit to our hospice as our patron, her kindness and empathy were evident." 'Having HRH's support during Children's Hospice Week means that not only can we take time to celebrate the difference that children's hospices, including Tŷ Hafan, have made to the lives of so many families, but that we can also remind people of the importance of supporting their local children's hospice so that no family has to live their child's short life alone.' Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Kevin Clements, Chief Executive of EACH, based in the area close to the Wales family's country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, added, 'We're so incredibly grateful for The Princess' invaluable contribution as our dedicated Royal Patron. Her ongoing support and vast profile have projected our charity onto the global stage, and this latest message is a perfect way to mark Children's Hospice Week." 'It's a great opportunity to shine a light on the work of children's hospices generally, as well as giving us an opportunity to raise awareness and remind everyone of the need for public support, given we rely on donations for the majority of our income.' Read the original article on People
