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Ghenet Tewolde says the girls she fosters are like sisters to her own children |
There are no bad children, only challenges
The rewards of being a carer are often overlooked, says refugee ‘mum’
A FOSTER parent who has raised 15 children single-handedly believes the challenges of fostering are obvious but its benefits are overlooked.
Ghenet Tewolde, 34, came to the UK in 1995 as a refugee fleeing a violent civil war in Eritrea, near Ethiopia.
She has been a foster carer with Westminster City Council for five years, raising children from Jamaica, Somalia, Sudan, Iran and Iraq.
“You have a lot of responsibility,” she admitted. “I need to know everything: where the children are going, what the family is like, what the house they are going to is like, exactly when they will be back.”
“But you need to be good with the children. You can’t be pushy – you must be calm and experienced.”
Experience is one thing Ms Tewolde has plenty of. Growing up in East Africa her mother took a maintenance job in the city airport, it fell to her to look after her younger brother Sammy. She later worked as a nanny in Italy.
And shortly after giving birth to her second child she separated from her husband, leaving her to raise the children alone.
“I’ve never thought of it as a problem,” she said. “My mother had 11 children, so this is nothing. I’ve always dreamed of helping children.”
She currently looks after two teenage girls, as well as her own two daughters, who are ten and eight years old.
Ms Tewolde says the girls she fosters are like “sisters” to her own children, and she regards them completely as her daughters. She said: “I don’t like to use the phrase ‘foster daughter’. These children need a mother, not a carer.”
“It feels terrible when they leave, but I stay in touch with all of them – they still visit.”
Many people associate fostering with “problem children”, but Ms Tewolde dismisses this opinion. “I’ve never seen a bad child – only challenging ones,” she said. “I try to teach them how lucky they are to grow up in a country like this.”
Potential foster carers are required to undergo checks by the Criminal Records Bureau, preparation training and an individual home study with a social worker.
Once approved – which usually takes about six months – there are a number of different schemes available, from full-time caring to “short-break” or part-time fostering.
Councillor Sarah Richardson, Westminster’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “Our carers often play a pivotal role in the lives of young people, and often form strong bonds with those they look after. We can never have too many volunteers and urge anyone who is considering being a carer to come forward and speak to us.”
Ms Tewolde is full of praise for Westminster City Council’s foster programme. She said: “Any problems are always sorted out straight away – 24 hours a day – and they have taught me so much. I always thank them.”
But the energetic mother is not stopping here. “In the future,” she said “I will ask Mr Blair to give me a big house with lots of rooms, so I can look after lots of children.”
Any one interested in foster care schemes should please telephone the Family Placement Team on 0800 0322 533. |
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