Afsheen's Fostering Story
Discover how Afsheen, a dedicated mother of four, found new purpose through fostering with ISP. As she approaches her five-year anniversary, Afsheen shares how fostering has transformed her life.
Having raised four children of her own and empowered her two daughters to pursue their dream careers, aspirational mum Afsheen knew that she had more to give to children in need of love and guidance.
She said: “I knew I could make myself useful and give a good future to another child. One of my friends suggested that I would make a great foster parent because of my ability to inspire others to achieve, so I applied.”
Since 2019, Afsheen and her husband, Muhammad, have fostered six children and currently have a little boy living with them. Afsheen and her family, who are Pakistani, have embraced caring for a child of a different race and how fostering has enriched their family life.
Afsheen said: “When we start fostering, we got loads of training about being in a cross-cultural family. Our foster son likes some things which are not allowed in my religion, but we make sure he’s able to make his own choices and still enjoy those things. We empower him to live life how he wants, whether that means exploring foods or his sexuality– no conversation is off the table.”
“My foster children are my family. I want them to know that whatever we do, they are included. I’ve bought our son traditional cultural dress for events like Eid and weddings, and we’ve been to Pakistan together and had a great time.”
What Afsheen has learned during her time as a foster mum has helped her to break free of generational trauma and reflect upon her own parenting style.
She said: “I have learned a lot. I look back at when I was raising my own children and wish I’d done some things differently. It's very hard to break the chains and accept that what we have done in the past as parents, or maybe what our parents did, was not right.
“I apply what I’ve learned through fostering now with my grandchildren. I have a very deep bond with my granddaughter, and that’s because I respect her boundaries. Fostering has taught me a lot about myself as well as caring for children, whether they’re related to me biologically or not.”
Afsheen loves the children in her care the same as her own and thinks that’s necessary to be the best foster parent.
She said: “I was heartbroken when my last child moved on. It’s always difficult when they move on, but we’re here for them. I really started to heal when we welcomed our foster son. The love and affection I was giving to her, I started giving to him. It doesn't matter who is in your care, you just keep giving continuously.”
Afsheen is approaching her five-year fostering anniversary and has been reflecting on what they’ve achieved so far, she said: “Fostering really changed me. If you can foster, you should do it, because there are lots of children who need help right now. You can give a good future to those children. When you see children becoming independent and achieving, it really makes you so proud.”
Download information pack
If you're interested in fostering, then download our information pack to discover everything you need to know about becoming a foster parent with ISP.
