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Maria and her husband Phil have been fostering with Essex County Council for eight years. At the moment, their home is full with a 16-year-old, who's been living with the couple since she was eight years old, a 9-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy.
What made you want to become a foster carer?
Often, our foster carers aren't ready for an empty home yet. As her own children moved out, Maria and Phil became foster carers.
"When our children got to a certain age and became independent, my husband and I decided to foster. I grew up in a large family, so I loved the idea of always having young people around. I left my employment so I could foster full-time."
"I felt that if I could help one child change their path in life, I would have done a good job. Now, after 8 years of fostering, we have cared for around 20 children, aged between 11 and 18."
Maria has used her foster carer training to help young people overcome trauma
All foster children have, sadly, experienced trauma. Essex County Council offer foster carers training to help young people overcome this. Maria is helping her foster children thrive.
"Most of our foster children have experienced trauma before coming to stay with us. Our 9-year-old foster child was no different,
"She lost out on a big part of her childhood. Often, she would be left for long periods of time, without food, to look after her younger siblings. They were only a few months old and a toddler."
Maria has seen the difference foster care has made for the young girl
"She missed out on her own education, but she has flourished in the past year! We have focused a lot on her education and even home-schooled her to help improve her skills. Now, she’s at the level she should be for her reading and writing, and she’s been getting praise in school for her work.
This has made her much more confident, and she loves going to school now."
Maria and her husband are watching their foster children grow in confidence
"She wants to do well. She feels so proud of herself, that she skips out of school to share her achievements with our family. We all celebrate her achievements with her.
When she first came to us, she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, she was so concerned about her siblings.
She didn’t receive the love or support she desperately needed, but now she gets it from us. She can be a child again."
Essex County Council support Maria and her family all the way
When you foster with Essex County Council, you join a community of incredible people. Our foster carers support each other, without judgement. Maria praised the support available from our fostering team.
"Supervising social workers and other foster carers helped me understand the children's behaviour. I now understand how the trauma they've been through is affecting the way they act now.
You learn something new with every child, because they all have individual needs. You're constantly learning how best to support them with developing emotionally and academically."
As our other foster carers have said too, Maria says it the smallest moments that mean the most.
"When they reciprocate, even just a hug, you know that you are doing the right thing. It’s just the biggest reward for all your hard work."
Finally, what would Maria say if you're thinking about fostering?
"If you have time, love, and attention to give a child then you can do it!
You will meet amazing people, both other foster carers and the children themselves. I have learnt so much from them all. The love you give them and the love they give you is like nothing else in this world."