M had been through four previous placements before coming to me that had all sadly broken down. He couldn’t speak when he first arrived and despite being two, his mind and demeanour were more like that of a baby’s. M would scream because he couldn’t speak, and it was frustrating for him not to be able to convey how he was feeling or express what he wanted.
Now, after 10 months of consistency and stability, things are totally different. M is an absolute joy! He can now express himself with words, taking that initial frustration away; and he is also learning to read. M’s behaviour has improved so much, and he is just full of life and mischievousness. M was recently invited to meet MP, Andrea Leadsom at a literacy event for the Better Start Initiative because of how far he has come. It was such a fantastic day with a Gruffalo trail included, which he loved.
My first IRO meeting took place recently and the feedback regarding how well M was doing was really positive. This was so nice to hear, as during the day-to-day tasks, as a foster carer you never really know how well you’re doing or if you are doing everything right. We are both constantly learning from each other as we go, so being able to look back and reflect on how far M had come was incredible.
As well as the great support from my supervising social worker, I’ve also had extra support from the MATTs service which has been such a blessing. MATTs stands for Multi-disciplinary Assessment Treatment & Therapy Service (MATTs). This is a specialist fostering programme which has provided 1:1 support to help me with understanding M. You can read more about MATTs here. Any challenging behaviours we have been experiencing, the therapist has been able to help me to understand why this is happening and give me suggestions on how to help M. This has been so valuable as things happen with a foster child that you won’t have experienced with your own children. Having that insight as to the whys has been an incredible help.
I really hope that one day when M’s older, he can read all of the logs and nice things that I’ve written about him and know just how much I care for him. He has come on so amazingly and I hope I have set him on the right path to leading a healthy and happy life.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
