When tragedy struck, Julie turned her pain into purpose, choosing to foster and give a young girl the love, stability and encouragement she needed to flourish.
Julie’s fostering story
After working in childcare for over 24 years, Julie decided she wanted to take her career in a new direction. When tragedy struck, she realised she wasn't ready to leave the world of childcare behind, so she and her husband applied to foster with Orange Grove.
Once approved in December 2022, the couple welcomed a 6-year-old into their home shortly after and have been fostering her ever since. Julie and her husband have put their all into creating a loving and nurturing environment for the child in their care, helping her heal and grow.
From struggling to regulate her emotions to growing in confidence and performing in school shows, Julie demonstrates the real impact foster parents can have on the lives of vulnerable children and young people. Here is the couple’s fostering story.
From tragedy to true calling
Julie has always had a passion for young people, she said: “I just love children. From a young age, I always gravitated towards them. Even with my cousins, I was the one who used to play with them. So, childcare was just a natural thing for me to go into.”
“I was a nanny for years and then began working at a school as a dinner lady when I had my daughter. I gradually went on to help with the after-school and breakfast clubs. I then became a teaching assistant before providing one-to-one support for children with special needs. After working there for 24 years, I decided I wanted to move on.”
Leaving a career and beginning a new one is a huge change. Sometimes, our motivation to take a step into the unknown can be born out of tragedy – it forces us to reassess our lives and do the things we’ve been putting off.
This was the case for Julie. When her brother was involved in a serious accident, grief motivated her to take the leap and start fostering, she said: “My brother had a really bad car accident and wasn’t alive for very long after that.”
"He was the first one I spoke to about fostering. When I asked what he thought about it, he said, ‘Go for it, it sounds perfect for you’. When he died, it just felt like it was time to move on and go ahead and start fostering."
“I phoned up Orange Grove and got the ball rolling. Sadly, my brother didn’t get to see me become a foster parent, but he was instrumental in my decision to do it.”
Welcoming their foster daughter home
Julie and her husband welcomed their foster daughter in January 2023 and recently celebrated the second anniversary of her joining the family. Julie recalled the moment she met the young girl, she said: "On the day she arrived, all I saw was this car pull in, a window was down, and she just gave this tiny little smile."
“I was thinking, 'Oh, bless her.' When she came into the house, she was quite quiet, and when the social worker left, she looked at me and said, ‘I’m hungry’."
Since then, Julie has worked hard to help the young girl build her confidence and self-esteem, she said: “When she first went swimming, she was crying ‘No, no, no, I can't do this.’ But I told her, ‘Yes, you can. You can do it. I'm standing here. I'll wait for you.’"
"Whenever she tries something new and thinks she can’t do it, I say, ‘Yes, you can do it. It may take you a while, and you might not understand at first, but if you work at it, you can do it.’ And you can see her confidence growing."
"On her first day of school, she was absolutely petrified, but now she’s on the student council!”
“She was also part of the Rocksteady concert, playing the keyboard and singing in front of the school. She would never have had the confidence to do that if she hadn’t been told ‘You can do it. You are good at what you do, and if you’re not, that’s okay – you can work on it.’”
“To see her face when she keeps going and actually achieves something – it's brilliant.”
It’s an enlightening journey
Over the past two years, Julie, her husband, and the child in their care have had many ups and downs, Julie said: “It’s not easy. But if you don’t go through the challenges, or you give up, you’re never going to see the true potential of that child.”
“Since I started fostering, I've gone through so much and seen how it works – not only for me, but for my foster child. I think fostering is a wonderful and enlightening journey, and I like to believe I’m a better person because of it.”
Julie emphasised the importance of fostering with an agency that can offer wrap-around, tailored support, she said: “You need help along the way. Having a fantastic social worker is absolutely key. Mine is there for me at any time. I mean, it doesn't matter if it's 8:00 in the morning or 8:00 at night – if I need her, she’ll be there.”
“I’ve had support from a therapist to help me work through my emotions, and they put things in place for me so that I could grieve for my brother. If I have a wobble, I know they’re there to support me and to help with my foster daughter.”
“It's been so brilliant. I honestly couldn't fault anything about Orange Grove – the support they provide is phenomenal.”
Julie’s advice for prospective foster parents
Julie had some advice for anyone considering fostering, she said: “Make sure that it is something you truly, truly want to do.”
"There will be difficulties along the way, and you'll muddle through. But you need to get support and learn things about yourself. Things aren’t going to go right every single time – and that’s okay. Just make sure you communicate when things aren’t going brilliantly. Let people know so they can support you."
"Fostering is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Spending the past two years watching my foster daughter grow and just being on the journey with her is worth all the challenges we've faced. I'll continue this journey with her, even after she leaves care."
Inspired by Julie’s story? Enquire today
If, like Julie, you’d like to change a child’s life by opening your home and offering them a safe, stable and nurturing foundation to grow and thrive, please get in touch. Together, we can help more children in care rebuild their lives and have a future full of endless opportunities.
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