‘They made me believe I could achieve anything’
Alison Delaney, 50, from Staffordshire, pays tribute to the family who fostered her as a baby.
‘I was born in Birmingham in 1971, but my birth mother was in a bad place and she gave me up to be taken into care. I went to my foster parents, Reg and Jean, when I was just three weeks old. I was the fourth child they’d fostered, but just a few weeks after I arrived, they applied to adopt me, bringing me up with their birth children Ian and Karen. Few can say they were chosen, but I can say exactly that. We were far from your typical family. I was a mixed heritage face in a white family, the only black face at all in our rural Midlands town. I feel so blessed that Reg and Jean chose me because they undoubtedly chose a difficult path littered with prejudice and ignorance.
I was raised with no understanding of colour but of value and self-worth. There have been many defining moments in my life but one that stands out was when I was seven. I was the only black child at school and while I have many fond memories, on this particular day, it was different.
While playing on the swings, a little boy ran up to me and shouted racist abuse. Back home, I told
‘Few can say they were chosen, but I can say exactly that’
Mum. She sat me on her knee, gently telling me, “Sometimes people will say things without understanding the meaning or the impact of their words. We can either copy their behaviour or we can educate them through kindness.”
That moment shaped my values and serves as my moral compass for navigating challenges and turning them into positives. It gave me the confidence to set up Little Bird People Development, a coaching business to help others reach their potential. I’ve also written a book, Little Chick Has Lunch On The
Moon, to help children believe in themselves, just as my foster family helped me believe in myself.
I am now married with a daughter, Robyn, 24, and a granddaughter, Amelia Grace, who is three. My birth mother has sadly died but with my wonderful mum’s support, I have connected with some of my birth family. Meeting them was helpful, and made me realise how brave my birth mother had been to give me up, allowing me the life I’ve had. I know firsthand that foster parents change lives. I have such respect and gratitude for them.’