When Rebecca and Jon first opened their home to foster children, they couldn’t have imagined how much it would change their lives.
Now, after fostering more than 16 young people, they’ve built lifelong connections, created a warm and stable home, and discovered the true meaning of making a difference. Read on as they share their experience of transferring to ISP and how fostering has enriched their family forever.
Choosing to foster
For Rebecca and Jon, who foster with ISP Sussex, fostering felt like something they were always meant to do.
“I’ve always worked with young people in my career,” Rebecca explains. “I came across many foster children in foster homes I visited and always felt huge empathy for them – and for the foster carers too. I just always knew it was something I wanted to do myself.”
Transferring to ISP
Rebecca and Jon started fostering with another independent fostering agency but, after a few years, they decided to transfer to ISP – and it was one of the best decisions they ever made.
“We were with another agency before, but the support just wasn’t there,” Rebecca explains. “So, we decided to move to ISP. It was a no-brainer really – We’d heard very good reports and reviews about ISP. Jon actually researched and found ISP, and I was like ‘wow!’. I’ve always wanted to foster with them. It’s just a complete package and we’re very, very happy with them”.
“We were invited to the ISP Christmas meal even before our transfer was complete, which made us feel really welcome. We got a real sense of the community that’s there, which was something we were missing from the last one.”
For Rebecca and Jon, transferring to ISP was the right choice but also a simple and straightforward one. Rebecca explained how easy the transfer process was: “We went through the assessment process and within 8 to 12 weeks it was all done and transferred. We transferred with the children we were caring for, and it was absolutely seamless,”
She added. “If foster carers are thinking about transferring to ISP, they shouldn’t worry, at all, about the process. They do all the work for you and keep you updated with everything that’s going on. It was very easy.”
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If you’re interested in transferring to ISP, then download our helpful guide to discover everything you need to know about the process.
The importance of support
The couple can’t speak highly enough about the support they receive from ISP.
“The support we get is amazing,” says Rebecca. “There’s a whole network of professional people around you. Our supervising social worker visits us every four weeks, but is always at the end of the phone if we need him. We also have regular carer support groups and reflective practice sessions with a therapist, plus training and social events for the children. It’s a really nice community at ISP.”
As a therapeutic fostering agency, ISP also offers a large amount of therapeutic support. “We’ve had brilliant support from ISP Therapeutic Services. We get a lot of therapeutic support for all young people. Therapy for us as well – that’s something that’s ongoing. We can either use it or not. But it’s always there for foster carers if we need it.”
ISP’s therapeutic approach has made a huge impact on how Rebecca and Jon care for their foster children.
“The training at ISP is brilliant – second to none,” Rebecca says. “The therapeutic pathway training is really interesting – it teaches you how to think outside the box and gives you the box of tools you need.”
The lasting impact of fostering
Over the years, Rebecca and Jon have welcomed around 16 young people into their home – from short-term and emergency placements to long-term – and have kept in touch with the vast majority.
“I’d say 90% of them still keep in contact with us,” Rebecca says proudly. “Some come back to visit, send messages and photos, or stay for dinner. It’s so rewarding to see how far they’ve come.”
She recalls one message that meant the world to her:
“A child who left our care said, ‘I can really appreciate what you’ve done for me and the place I’m in now, compared to where I would have been’. She always comes back to stay in the summer now and she always says ‘I don’t know where I’d be without you, without your support’. That’s the hope isn’t it? The goal, you know. And you do get that huge reward.”
Changing lives
For Rebecca and Jon, fostering has changed their own lives as much as it’s changed the lives of the children they’ve cared for.
“Fostering, as a whole, has been quite a rollercoaster. It’s taught me that I’m stronger and more resilient than I thought,” Rebecca says. “And it’s made us an even stronger team. If I could go back in time and give myself any advice, it would be to start earlier.”
Their message to anyone thinking about fostering is simple:
“If you’ve got something to offer a child desperately seeking a safe place to live, just go for it,” says Rebecca. “You will get the training to do it. You will get the advice and support you need, meet other great foster carers, have a wonderful life, and make a difference to those children as well”.
“This is our life. It’s not our job. It’s so rewarding. And it’s a wonderful journey to go on.”
Thinking about joining ISP?
Whether you’re an experienced foster parent interested in transferring fostering agency to ISP, or are new to fostering and want to know more, please get in touch with our experienced team by calling 0800 0857 989 or submitting an enquiry.
Fostering stories
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
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