Sarah, Peter and their family began their fostering journey with us in 2022.
Sarah and Peter share their home with Sarah’s teenage son, their foster daughter, and their two dogs, Teddy and Rupert. Together, they decided to foster because they knew that they could offer a lot to a young person in need of a loving home.
We sat down with the couple to learn more about their family’s fostering journey and why they chose Orange Grove.
Making memories as a family
“One of the most important things for us was that the kids would get along with each other,” said Sarah, whose own son has been a fantastic big brother to his foster sister. “My son was an only child, and he’s adapted so well to being an older sibling. He's quite protective of his sister, and she really looks up to him.”
“One of the first things we did was take both of the kids on a Mediterranean cruise, which was an amazing bonding experience for our whole family,” said Peter. “One of the highlights of the holiday was being able to take our foster daughter into the ocean for the first time in her life, it was a magical experience. From the very beginning she was so natural around us, and we’ve always just been like any family.”
Start your fostering journey here
Download our brochure and discover everything you need to know about fostering with Orange Grove.
Stepping stones to success
Over the past 18 months, Sarah and Peter have enjoyed seeing their foster daughter take on new challenges, discover new hobbies and excel at school.
Peter said, “She’s doing really well in all aspects of her life. We've seen so much progress over the last few months. It makes you very proud to look back and see that you've contributed to that. She’s got a bright future ahead of her, and has aspirations about going to university.”
“When she reaches that age, she’ll still have a loving home with us for as long as she needs it,” Sarah added. “We’re proud to give her that stability so that she can enjoy being a child, study, work hard and go on to achieve everything that she wants to achieve.”
Encouraging others to foster
We asked the couple if they would encourage others out there to become foster parents.
They said, “For anyone curious about whether fostering is right for them, I’d encourage you to look into it and learn more. It's a big commitment, and you need to be prepared. You need to build good routines and lay the building blocks for the children you care for so that they can have a great future. It’s not rocket science, but it’s a big decision."
"At the end of the day, you're going to be responsible for a young person and they'll will be with you 24/7. You’ll have your bad days as well as the good. Overall, fostering is incredibly rewarding and you’ll be able to make such a difference to a young person's life.”
Why choose Orange Grove?
We asked the couple about their experience of fostering with us, and whether they’d recommend other families to join us in changing children’s lives across the UK.
Sarah said, “The support which Orange Grove provide is second to none. We were really quite surprised and with how they went out of their way for us, and for my son as well. They're available whenever we need help or guidance.”
“There's also a really good social side to it as well,” Peter added. “Orange Grove organise lots of activities: for example, this year we've been to a theme park with a bunch of other foster families. Events like those are great because it lets the children build bonds with other kids who are in foster care."
"There are also lots of events just for us foster parents, and it’s really great to get together because you can share your experiences and learn from one another. All in all, the team at Orange Grove are really supportive and brilliant. If you feel like fostering is something that you could do, then certainly give it a go!”
Ready to start your fostering journey?
Fill out your details below and one of our friendly team members will be in touch shortly.
Please make sure you read our terms and conditions because you're agreeing to them by submitting an enquiry. It's also worth reading our privacy policy and cookies policy so you understand how we collect and use your personal data. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and Terms of Service apply.
