Could you foster a teenager?

At the age of 62, Susan Davis, a mother of three and grandmother of ten from Greater Manchester, felt dissatisfied with her job. She had toyed with the idea of becoming a foster parent in the past, but personal circumstances had prevented her from fulfilling this ambition. She decided that now was the right time to look into it again and was pleased to find that the option was still very much open.

I would say to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer, if you don’t do it, who else will? Where do these children go if you or no-one else will take them in?

Susan is now foster mum to two teenagers and another younger child. She’s one of many foster carers in the region that have specifically decided to care for teenagers. Although she had imagined herself looking after young children as a foster carer, when she heard about two teenage siblings who lived locally and were in desperate need of a new home, her heart went out to them.

She said: “Teenagers are like children of any age - what they really want is to know that they are loved and that their opinions matter. If they can see that someone cares about them and is really rooting for them, and if they are given the chance and the space to do their own thing, that’s what really makes a difference.

“What I like about teenagers is that they always let you know where you stand. This actually makes looking after them much easier.”

Fostering is a vocation of great responsibility which can lead to great personal reward and requires an even more special set of skills from carers. Neglect, abuse and multiple moves can make some teenagers in desperate need of a stable upbringing. Foster carers who are firm, consistent and caring can help bring about positive change and progress to otherwise ‘lost’ teenagers.

This is why Manchester City Council is on the lookout for people who have already had experience of teenagers - either their own or perhaps through their work - to become foster carers for some of the city's teens who are not able to live with their own parents.

For those who think they could be up for the job but haven’t fully decided yet, Susan has a few words of wisdom: “I would say to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer, if you don’t do it, who else will? Where do these children go if you or no-one else will take them in?”

Gemma is one of the teenagers Susan has cared for. She added: "That's what teenagers need. People need to give us a chance and try to understand where we're coming from."

There are currently nearly 400 teenagers in foster care in Manchester and the Council is keen to find more foster carers for teenagers for the future.

An information evening for anyone interested in fostering teenagers is being held on Tuesday 12 October at ManchesterTown Hall from 5 – 9pm.

Call 0800 988 8931, email: familyduty@manchester.gov.uk, or click here for further details.