best for REAL LIFE
‘I know how
many kids
there are
who need
a loving
home’
*NAME^HASBEEN^CHANGEDWORDS:MATTHEWBARBOURwith my uncle and his
lodger. I knew it might cause
problems to tell everyone, and
Gary and Colin understood.
But, when I was 13, I had
a friend stay over, who asked
why our lodger and my uncle
were sleeping in the same
room! I told her, then a few
close friends, the truth. They
all thought it was really cool
and were jealous of me!
My foster dads taught me
about independence, patience,
love and support. With their
encouragement, I ended up
getting 11 GCSEs, after they
helped me revise and made
a quiet space in the house for
me to study.
I knew from my own
research how many foster
children did badly at school
and was determined to
buck that trend. Gary
was a social worker in child
protection and knew all too
well how the care system
could affect kids’ education.
For me to finish near the top
of my year at college made
him and Colin so proud.
Then, when I was 16, I was
allowed to have sleepovers
with my biological parents.
Education was really
important to my dad, too, so
he was glad I’d found Gary
and Colin. They all got on
well together, which was
lovely to see.
Over the next two years,
I studied hard for my A-levels
and decided I wanted to
work with children – to help
kids like me who were facing
challenges growing up. Now,I’ve just finished my third
year at university studying
health and social care.
After I graduate, I’m
thinking of being a counsellor
or a primary school teacher. If
I can give anything back to the
system to make the world a
better place, I’ll be very happy.
I still visit Gary and Colin
at weekends. Their house is
as fun as always, and it feels
like home walking through the
door to smell Gary’s paella
and being greeted by a herd
of animals and laughing kids!
Nobody deserves to be
thanked and loved more than
my two amazing foster dads- they truly saved my life.
Gary, 55, says:
‘Colin and I have been
together for 20 years,
and around 10 years ago
we considered fostering.
We loved having Colin’s
daughters with us at
weekends and holidays.
My mum fostered after I
left home, so it seemed like
a natural next step. Mum
fostered really challenging
kids through Youth Care
Challenge with incredible
results, which inspired us.
I also work with children in
social care, so I know how
many kids there are who
need a loving home.
We applied through
TACT and, when
Elizabeth’s sisters were
put forward, we gelled
straight away. We just
wanted them to feel
as loved as Colin’s
daughters had been.
Elizabeth joined us a
few months later; we
loved having her as
part of our family.
Fostering isn’t a
smooth road, but
the rewards are
immeasurable –
seeing children from
vulnerable backgrounds
going on to university,
getting jobs, living their
dreams – it’s brilliant.
Knowing Elizabeth
might want to become a
social worker like me is
a massive compliment.’Colin, 57, says:
‘If my daughters, Elizabeth
or her sisters... or any of
our children want to come
and stay, there’ll always
be space and love here for
them. I’d urge anyone
with the capacity in their
heart or their home to
consider fostering.’● Gary and Colin are foster
carers with the fostering/
adoption charity TACT. For
more info, see tactcare.
org.uk/foster-with-usColin and Gary
provided a safe
haven for Elizabeth
and her sistersElizabeth
dressed up
for her
school prom