Maxine has been fostering for nearly 30 years, beginning her journey alongside her husband, Trevor, who sadly lost his life in 2019.
Since then, Maxine has been a single foster parent, switching to ISP in 2023 to help the children that were in her care receive the therapeutic support they needed.
Now, she’s caring for a sibling group of three aged 12, 13 and 14, whom she said ‘have flourished’ with ISP’s support.
From how her journey began and becoming a single foster parent to fostering a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and continuing to support him in adulthood, Maxine shares her story of strength, resilience and love.
How Maxine’s journey began
People become foster parents for all sorts of reasons. For Maxine and Trevor, it was a route into experiencing parenthood together.
Maxine explained, “I was introduced to fostering by my late husband. We couldn’t have children of our own, so he asked me if I’d thought about fostering, and I said no. I didn’t know much about it at all. He came home one night armed with lots of leaflets and information, and after reading it all we realised it was exactly what we were looking for.”
“We initially started fostering mothers and babies, and over the years progressed to teenagers. And now, I think we’ve covered just about every type of fostering.”
Becoming a single foster mum
For most of Maxine’s journey, she fostered as a couple, which meant that when she sadly lost her husband in 2019, she was worried about whether she’d be able to continue fostering alone. But despite her reservations, she persevered and found that transferring to ISP four years later made all the difference.
Maxine said, “For the first 21 years, I fostered with my husband; we were a unit, and it was like I couldn’t see it any other way. When I lost him to cancer seven years ago, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to carry on fostering alone.”
“The agency I was with then wasn’t the most supportive, but then I found ISP. I explained my situation, and they really do cater for single foster parents.”
“There’s a single carer support group, a chat group that we’re all part of, and we’ll meet up sometimes. Single foster parents tend to have more backup carers than couples do too.”
“ISP are always open to listening and will make sure that you get the support you need when you need it.”
Download our Transfer Guide
If you’re interested in transferring to ISP, then download our helpful guide to discover everything you need to know about the process.
Transferring to ISP for effective therapeutic support
Some people don’t realise that you can transfer to another fostering agency with children already in your care, just so long as it’s in the best interests of each child.
Maxine took it upon herself to find a therapeutic fostering agency because she felt like the agency she was with at the time wasn’t providing the support the children in her care so desperately needed.
She said, “I was with my first agency for 20 years, and they sent me on a training course about therapeutic fostering, but it was a very small agency, and they couldn’t follow through.”
“The course made me realise that the children I had at the time needed therapeutic input, which meant that I had no choice but to look for other agencies that could offer that for my children.”
“At the time, I tried one agency, but it wasn’t all it promised to be, so I carried on looking around, and then I found ISP, and they met all my requirements.”
“It was a really easy transfer, and I brought across the two children I had at the time. There were no hiccups. It was really quite simple.”
ISP’s impact on children in Maxine’s care
The children who were in Maxine’s care when she switched to ISP have since moved on, and she now cares for three siblings whose lives have been turned around by the support they’ve received from Maxine and ISP.
Maxine explained, “I currently have a sibling group of three that have been with me for almost two years now, and they’re 14, 13 and 12. It was quite a complex case of them coming into care, and they definitely need therapeutic input, so I’m very glad I’m with ISP.”
“The counsellors and therapists are very supportive, and I’ve worked closely with them to make sure the parenting approaches I use are suitable for each child’s needs. They spend regular time with the children too; my youngest is about to start story and picture work with one of the therapists.”
“This therapeutic input has had a massive impact on the three children. They’ve never been in care before and have very negative views of the care system, but ISP is the opposite of everything they’d ever been told about being in care.”
“They’ve embraced everything on offer, and I can safely say they’ve flourished.”
Continuing to support former foster children
When Maxine fosters a child, they truly become part of the family, and she’s still in touch with many of her former foster children today, including the very first foster child she welcomed into her home nearly 30 years ago.
Maxine said, “My first-ever foster child lives a ten-minute walk up the road. He regularly comes home to shop in my cupboards, and I still support him with everything. I refer to him as my son because that’s what he’s been since he landed on our doorstep when he was just six years old.”
“We were supposed to have him for three weeks on emergency support for another carer, but then he ended up staying. He was only six years old but had already had 14 foster families. I don’t think previous families understood his needs because he was undiagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).”
The diagnosis that changed everything
“Once he had been diagnosed and we knew what his needs were, he started to flourish, and we asked if he could stay. It was a case of he’s not going anywhere.”
“Now, he’s 34 but functions at about 12 on a good day, and lives in supported living. He has his own little flat, which he’s very proud of and has recently started growing his own vegetables at the local allotment.”
“He is my biggest success because he’s achieved everything we were told he wouldn’t. Somebody once said to him, ‘She’s not your mum, she’s your ex foster carer.’ He stood up and said, ‘She is my mum, she brought me up!’ and that says everything.”
ISP’s therapeutic pathway programme
Every ISP foster parent completes our City & Guilds Assured Therapeutic Pathway Programme, designed by our Head of Therapy, Dr Suzannah Hill, to ensure they have the essential skills and knowledge to care for children living with trauma.
Maxine shared her experience of our ongoing training, which is delivered both face-to-face and online. She said, “ISP’s training has been really helpful because it’s been tailored to each stage of my journey.”
“I don’t know how they do it, but it feels like personalised training, and they’re very up to date with the latest facts, figures, and parenting approaches.”
“I’ve completed a lot of therapeutic training over the years, but every time I train with ISP, I learn something new. I’m not usually a big fan of online learning, but they make it very interactive and deliver it in a friendly way.”
Maxine’s fostering wisdom
From losing her husband and becoming a single foster mum to welcoming a child into her home and later discovering he has a disability, over the past three decades, Maxine has been on quite the journey. But even when things have been tough, she’s never given up.
We asked Maxine to share her advice for anyone thinking about joining her in changing young lives. She said, “Visit the agencies you’re interested in, find foster parents to chat with, and believe in yourself.”
“I always said I couldn’t foster children with disabilities, but here I am, having raised a child with FASD and become the mum he needed. When you’re matched with the right child and start giving them the care they need, all your fears seem to slip away.”
“You just need the right back-up and support, like ISP has given me from the moment I transferred.”
Learn more about therapeutic fostering
Inspired by Maxine’s story? Start your therapeutic fostering journey today by calling us on 0800 0857 989 or by submitting your details via our online form.
Whether you’re completely new to fostering and want to learn more about becoming a foster parent or have experience and want to find out how to transfer, our experienced team is ready to answer your questions and help you get started with ISP.
Fostering stories
Speak to our team today
Whether you’re looking for more information about fostering a child or you’re ready to apply, we’re here to help you take the next step to fostering and start your journey.
Enquiry Form
The company takes the requirements of GDPR seriously in ensuring the privacy and lawful processing of personal data provided to us by you. Please view our privacy notice which explains how the company will manage and use your personal data. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Learn more about transferring today
Transferring to ISP is easier than you think. Speak to one of our fostering advisors today.
Just some reasons to transfer to ISP…
- UK’s most established fostering agency
- Leaders in therapeutic foster care
- We’ll match your allowance at the very least, but often we can beat it
- Wrap-around support from a local team of social workers, therapists, education specialists, and more
- An unrivalled therapeutic training programme
Complete the following form and we’ll give you a call back as soon as possible.
Transfer Form
The company takes the requirements of GDPR seriously in ensuring the privacy and lawful processing of personal data provided to us by you. Please view our privacy notice which explains how the company will manage and use your personal data. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.