More and more children are being put into care and, as a result, foster
carers are in greater demand. With this in mind, A growing number are
taking qualifications to help them become more effective carers and get
more from their lives and careers.
Suzanne Davies is one such foster parent, who has been talking to the
Coventry Telegraph about her experiences. Suzanne is a single mum who
worked in the catering industry for 20 years. She later become a child
minder and is now a foster parent who has taken care of five girls and a
boy over the past seven years.
She has one daughter of her own, Alex, 15, and loves having a busy
household. Suzanne explained, "One day Social Services rang and asked if I
could take two little girls – aged four and five." The girls ended up
staying with Suzanne for two years after some other family members died.
Suzanne said they were challenging but happy times: "They were lovable,
beautiful kids. I loved them to bits, so did Alex."
After a while, Suzanne decided she would benefit from a course in social
care for children and young people and studied for her Level 3 NVQ. She
claims that the qualification helps her with the day-to-day challenges of
fostering. "I put it off for ages as I am a single mum, and a child minder
– the last thing I wanted to do was study," she explained.
Suzanne added, "I actually found it was easy and my trainer was the best in
the world. I finished it in no time at all. You can’t take things at face
value – as in any job you learn as you go along.
“The training makes you see things from a child’s perspective. I see how
important self-esteem is for all children." Suzanne is now able to look
after a girl with special needs, thanks to her new qualification.
Thinking of taking the
first step towards learning? See learners describe
their experiences, so you know exactly what to expect. 