Megan’s story
“The conversation about us fostering came up when I was around 11. Mum and Dad said that fostering was something that they wanted to do. They ran it past me and my older brother and sister to make sure we were all happy with it, which we were.

“We had our first placement when I was 12. We started off offering stay over care and then long-term fostering. We’ve provided care for around 20 children over seven years from babies to teenagers.

Adjusting at home
“It was quite a change for me as I had gone from being youngest child at home to now being the eldest. But doing the stay over care initially helped me adjust into having younger children at home. We’d have them for a weekend, and it was like having friends or you cousin come to stay.

“You have that couple of days where things are a bit different. You might go out somewhere and get to know them a little bit, and then they sort of head back to their full-time foster carer. So yeah, it was a nice way ease into fostering.

“There were a couple of young people that I got on really, really well with because we were quite close in age and we had similar interests. So that was really nice.

“Our first long-term foster child went back to their parent, which was unexpected. Then we had two brothers who were also supposed to be long-term. We then had two brothers who settled very quickly.”

Meeting Charlotte
“It was during this placement that I started seeing Charlotte, a support worker at South Gloucestershire Council. Charlotte is part of a team that supports children of foster carers adjust to fostering.

“The boys were arguing which made me anxious because I don’t like confrontation. I was diagnosed as suffering from social and general anxiety. Charlotte helped me understand what I was struggling with and adjusting at home, which was amazing.

“She’s helped me a lot over the years. She supported me with the transition from school to college, and then moving to university.
“It was also really nice to talk to her about juvenile idiopathic arthritis because she’s experienced with that as well. She’s been someone I could talk to who understands what I was going through.

“She also helped me when the brothers went back to their family unexpectedly. It was really hard when they left because we were like a little family. It was a shock and very upsetting for everyone. But she was there to support me through it.

“Over the time she was supporting me, we’d meet up regularly to chat about what’s happening. I still go to fostering events with the family to keep in touch.”

Finding my voice through poetry
“When I started college, I started writing poetry. I’ve found writing it cathartic. I’ll write about things that have happened to me, or about how I’m feeling. I just sit and write and after finishing college I thought ‘I have enough here to actually make a book’.

“I had always wanted to write a book. I found a publisher and my book was published in July! I am now building up towards a second book and planning a novel.”

About Megan
Megan is a university student in Liverpool studying music production. A keen poet, she published her first poetry book in July and is currently working on a second collection. Megan began writing poetry at college, using it as a personal journal to explore her emotions and daily experiences.

Her creative journey is intertwined with her life in a fostering family, where she’s grown alongside the many children who’ve come into her home. You can get Megan’s book – Pieces of Me – on Amazon. Please note the content is not appropriate for anyone under 16 years old.

About Charlotte
Charlotte is a Support Worker in South Gloucestershire Council’s WAYPOINT (Working Alongside Young People & Others In Networks Therapeutically) team. WAYPOINT offers therapeutic help for children, young people, and families at risk of breakdown or in need of specialist intervention.

The team works with families and professionals to provide support that helps children and young people feel safe, understood and cared for. They use a range of therapeutic models to support carers, children and families.