“You never give up on foster children” says foster mother Pamela

PAMELA is 24 years fostering and has fostered 22 children between long-term and short-term placements.

At the minute, she’s a busy mum to four foster children - one over 18 years, still in education and three little ones aged 2,6 and 13.

Pamela has a background in childcare, having run a creche previously. Her introduction to fostering came through day-care which the HSE used to do.

“I didn’t realise there was a need for fostering. I went along to some meetings, found out more and decided to put myself forward for it,” she said.

Having lost her own mother at the age of ten, Pamela and her large family of siblings grew up in a tight-knit community in Sligo where the philosophy “it takes a village to raise a child” prevailed. “There go I but for the grace of God,” she said.

Her eldest child was four and her youngest was just four months old when Pamela began fostering. She has four biological children who have grown up with fostering as the norm.

“Two of them actually hope to foster themselves down the line. It’s a very extended family. Kids who were with me and have grown up are still in contact with us and consider themselves brothers and sisters. It’s always been one big family,” said Pamela.

“I’ve quite a busy house around Christmas time. They still come back to visit us,” she added.

The dynamics of fostering are three-way: the biological family, the foster family and Tusla working together for the benefit of the child. Foster family’s homes are inspected once every three years and they undergo a review every three years to ensure everything is safe and up to standards for the children.

Foster carers must also be Garda vetted and undergo a medical.

“That sounds daunting but it’s very straightforward and to be honest I feel there is a need for that, to make sure that everything is being done right. Every child deserves to be in a placement that has been vetted to make sure their needs are being met. It’s checking things like first aid kits etc, things you’d have anyway,” said Pamela.

The children themselves have their own social worker and the foster family has the support of Tusla at the end of the phone, “everybody has somebody,” said Pamela. “When a child comes to live with me, they become part of my family. Issues can arise, like with any child, but just like you wouldn’t give up on your own child, you wouldn’t give up on a foster child, that’s my personal point of view. I’ve always had great relationships with my children,” she said.