Fostering Fortnight: Cardiff couple urge others to foster and help vulnerable children lead a better life
10.05.10
As Fostering Fortnight 2010* gets underway, a couple from Cardiff, who have fostered nine children in just ten years, is encouraging others to consider taking-up the role.
Chris and Nina Abdullahi, from Canton in Cardiff, are foster carers with Wales’ leading independent fostering agency, Cardiff-based, Pathway Care.
Due to a shortage of 750 foster carers in Cardiff, the south Wales Valleys and throughout Wales, the couple want to raise awareness of the vital work foster carers do to help children and young people from challenging backgrounds, to regain their self esteem and build a positive life for the future.
Chris and Nina have fostered children from different nationalities and cared for siblings as well as mothers and their babies. They currently foster Dalmar**, aged 18 from Somalia, and Anoushirvan** and Armaghan**, both aged 16, from Afghanistan.
Nina, aged 57, who formerly worked with adults with learning difficulties, said: “Chris and I don’t have children of our own but family has always been important to us and we wanted to help vulnerable children and young people lead a better life, so becoming foster carers was the natural choice for us.
“Chris is Welsh Somali and I have a Polish background, being aware of multi-cultural issues has helped us care for vulnerable children from diverse backgrounds.
“To be a good foster carer you need to go into the role with your eyes open, be non judgemental, supportive, understanding and patient. You also have to set boundaries for reasonable behaviour and be fair but firm when needed.
“Fostering is challenging, it’s not for everyone but for the right sort of person it can be the best job in the world. In the five years we’ve cared for Dalmar we’ve seen him grow in confidence he’s a talented sportsman and is currently studying for a BTEC in sport and one day hopes to become a sports coach. Over the last year Anoushirvan and Armaghan have been with us they’ve worked hard in school and can now both speak good English and have integrated into the local community well.
“We never feel alone, Pathway Care provide us with support from experienced social workers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They also provide continuous training and I’ve achieved an NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care. This has boosted my confidence and enhanced my skills as a foster carer,” she added.
Wendy Keidan, Pathway Care’s Director of Practice, said: “We’re very proud of Chris and Nina who, like all our foster carers, have done so much to help fostered children lead a better quality of life and have hope for the future.
“Fostering Fortnight is an important reminder that there’s a real shortage of foster carers in Cardiff and the south Wales Valleys in particular. Foster carers come from all cultures, backgrounds and include couples with or without children, single people, divorced people and lone parents.”
She added: “We’re keen to hear from people who are experienced foster carers or who are considering becoming foster carers for the first time who can look after lone children, sibling groups, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, young mothers and their babies, teenagers, and children with disabilities and challenging behaviour.”
A career in foster care offers many benefits including competitive rates of pay and flexible working. For more information about fostering please contact Pathway Care on tel: 0871 226 3760; or visit the website at www.pathwaycare.com
