Role: Foster Carer
Company: Core Assets Fostering
Track Record: Michael Montgomery makes a difference to the lives of vulnerable youngsters every day, by offering them a safe and secure family environment and the emotional support they need to thrive.
Prior to fostering, Michael worked as a coach builder for 25 years but decided to steer his career in a different direction when he saw an advert for fostering in his local paper. With three grown up daughters, Michael knew he could draw on his own experiences of parenthood to foster, so contacted Core Assets Fostering and began his journey towards a fulfilling role in fostering. Seven years on, and having cared for 14 youngsters, Michael and his family have never looked back on their decision, their only wish being that they had started earlier.
Michael’s two daughters Cherith, 24, and Hannah, 22, still live at home and have also found the experience has enriched their lives too, sparking their decision to become respite foster carers in order to support their parents with the fostering task.
Working with Core Assets Fostering the Montgomery family benefit from the support of a dedicated social worker, education officer and therapist to ensure the children and young people they look after live life to the full and achieve their ambitions.
DAY IN THE LIFE
7:00am
My day begins like most families with school age children: I make breakfast for the youngsters, iron their uniforms, prepare lunch, and check they have their homework, ready for school.
8:00am
I then complete the school run with the family dog in tow and drop the children off before walking the dog around the local park. This then leaves me with a bit of free time to tidy the house and put the washing on from the ever flowing laundry basket.
10:00am
There are lots of opportunities for training and personal development at FCA and I am very much part of the professional team. On this particular day, I attended a training session called Men who Foster, which was a great opportunity to speak to other male foster carers and build up my support network. This support makes all the difference to my daily tasks as I know that there is always someone to turn to for advice.
12:00pm
While I am in the office, I catch up with my social worker to discuss any issues I have with the young people in placement and to run any ideas past her. She also talks about different referrals that are coming in, to see if we might be able to look after more young people in the coming months.
2:00pm
I then dash off to do the school pick up and find time to speak with the children’s teacher about how they have been doing in class. Their teacher and I fill in a diary to record this information. It is important to have this interaction with their teacher to address any issues before they become too big and to also encourage and reward the children if they are making improvements at school.
4:00pm
If the weather is nice, we take a trip to the park before popping to the supermarket to pick something up for dinner. Once we get back to the house the children start their homework, with my wife or I on hand to help them work their way through it. Sometimes after school the children meet with Core Assets Fostering’s Education Officer who provides extra support, so we like to catch up on what the children have learned in this session as well.
5:30pm
Dinner is a family affair for us so we all sit around the table and spend some quality time together, discussing our day. It’s important for the young people to practise manners and get used to a routine as some looked after young people are not used to eating dinner together or even using a knife and fork.
6:30pm
Then we have a bit of downtime with the children watching TV or playing games before getting bathed and ready for bed. Bedtime can sometimes be a challenge but we’ve had training on how to deal with each situation and this is where the support from FCA really helps.
8:00pm
Once the children are settled in bed I do a little bit of paperwork, recording what has happened with the children during the day from progression at school to a challenge with bedtime. I then make sure that I have an idea of diary appointments for the following day which might include making arrangements for birth family contact after school.
9:00pm
Following a busy day it is nice to unwind and relax with the family so we make sure that we always allow time for this. As fostering involves the whole family we make sure that we are always on hand to support each other and share the fostering task. Choosing to work as a foster carer for FCA is the best career choice I have made and has brought with it so many rewards.
If you would like to find out more about the challenges and rewards of fostering a vulnerable youngster, contact Core Assets Fostering Freephone on 0800 023 4561, visit www.iwanttofoster.com or join us on facebook.com/fostercareassociates
FCA welcomes single carers, married, cohabiting and same sex couples from all walks of life, who are passionate about making a positive and lasting difference to youngsters in care.