‘My house was too quiet, so I started fostering’
DebbieMorley, 42, from the Isle of Wight, is mum to Sam, 25, and Yasmin, 22.
I’d always loved the idea of fostering, of giving a child the love and affection I’d taken for granted growing up. But, when I’d approached my two children about it, my son, Sam, didn’t like the idea of sharing his mum, so I didn’t pursue it.
As they left school, my daughter Yasmin’s boyfriend started staying at our house three nights a week, and Sam’s girlfriend and their baby moved in, too. I loved the hustle and bustle of having so many people under my roof, cooking for all those hungry mouths.
So, when Yasmin moved out four years ago, and Sam and his partner followed suit a year later, I hated it. I liked my own space, but now I had too much of it. Our five-bed house seemed too big for just me and my husband, Anthony, 43, and our two dogs.
So, we decided to go ahead with our dream of fostering – this time, with both Yasmin and Sam’s blessing. ‘I’ll never understand it but, if it’s what you want to do, I’ll support you,’ Sam said.
The vetting and training process took nine months. Our first placement was a little girl, and it was lovely to have someone else to look after and take care of. When she left, we were given two sisters to care for. The elder one has now moved on, but the nineyear-old is still with us. She gets on really well with Yasmin and Sam, and adores our grandchildren – she’s part of the family.