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REDCAR & CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL - Meet the Nortons, two of our newest foster carers
For Geoff and Stuart Norton it was an ordinary family life – especially providing a home for Geoff’s daughter - which made them consider fostering.
“My youngest came to live with us about 18 months ago,” explained Geoff, 48, a taxi-driver from Redcar, “and we were struck how quiet and empty the house appeared when she visited friends and family – despite our dog Simba being at home.
“Fostering was something we had discussed in the past and done nothing about but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to investigate it further. We discussed it with our daughter first and she had a lot of questions; it was something she absolutely embraced. We went through all the pros and cons and involved her all the way. She’s a bit older now, 16, and she’s very involved, which is fantastic.”
Stuart, 31, a betting shop manager, explained they had only been approved as foster carers in February.
“It’s a long, thorough process which we very much approve of – you have to be aware of all you’re getting in to and it’s not for everyone,” he says. “The fact that you get support and you get to talk to other, more experienced, foster carers really made us feel happier.
“We needed that support quite quickly. We got a call about an emergency placement one Friday evening. It was two lads, 12 and 16, who had been found at Teesport. They spoke no English, only the clothes on their back, and didn’t eat meat. It was a bit of a ‘what have we done!’ moment. We had to dash off to Tesco just to get them some warm clothes and something to eat for when we arrived.
“They were very courteous and respectful and it was very interesting, although there was a lot of Google Translating going on. We got lots of hugs when they moved on. You just hope they’re going to be OK.”
Geoff explains that the couple were hoping to offer support to younger children aged between 4 and 11, but they did feel able to support older teenagers.
“We have a lad with us now, on short term placement who is 16,” he says. “On paper, he did look tricky – but the paper and the reality are very different things, at least in this case. He’s polite, a really nice lad. A lot of children just need a little help and support, someone on their side.
“It’s going very well but, that said, we’re not naïve and we’re very new and we know there can be very difficult placements. Anyone considering this should have their eyes open. But there are so many different types of fostering available. It could be weekend emergency care, or specialist care. If you can provide a decent, loving home and some guidance, you could change a young person’s life. What could be more rewarding than that?”