Anne Williams
A Listening Ear
My name is Anne Williams, a widow living in Sligo where I farm part time with my son who lives next door with his wife and young family. Recently retired, I have been fostering with Five Rivers since 2019, primarily E.P.S.(Emergency Placement) and also some limited respite placements.
The young people who come to me through E.P.S. are placed by the Five Rivers ‘out of hours‘ social workers and they invariably arrive in the early hours of the morning accompanied by the Gardai. These young people find themselves in the position of having to avail of this type of placement for many different reasons; some have fled from homes where they no longer feel safe, others have been removed from homes for their own safety by social workers and or Gardai, while others have been ejected or thrown out with doors firmly locked against them.
Some are fortunate enough to have some personal items of clothing, toothbrush etc. with them but most arrive quite literally with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing and they have varied in age from one and half to seventeen and half years old. So quite a difference in age and likewise a very diverse range of needs. The younger children are not verbal, owing to their age, while others do have words but just not English!! But I can assure you the determined stamp of the little foot and very good use of the hands alongside the shake of their little head is very much a universal language.
I am always amazed at the resilience of these young people who, despite everything they have experienced, can meet me with a smile in the dead of night or very early hours of the morning. Some stay for just a few days while others may have a lengthier stays of a week or more depending on the plan going forward where some return home while others move on to find places within the fostering system.
My role as an E.P.S. carer is to welcome them into my home where they are made both welcome and comfortable and to provide a listening ear if it is needed, a safe place, a warm bed, some good food and clean clothes – the basics every child deserves. The majority of young people I meet through E.P.S. are lovely young people who have encountered, very often through no fault of their own, a ‘bad patch’ in their lives and who need a quiet few days until a resolution to these issues is found. And yes there have been placements, thankfully in the minority, which have been challenging with various behavioural difficulties and when I encounter this I always remind myself these young people have experienced various traumas in their young lives that no body of their age should have to deal with.
I have found that the E.P.S. fostering alternative allows me the flexibility to meet my own commitments to family to look after my smaller grandchildren on a regular basis while the older grandchildren visit for extended stays during the school holidays. Also a popular holiday retreat for family visiting from different destinations so hence my E.P.S. availability can sometimes be limited. I am recently retired and so can definitely be classified as an ‘elder lemon’.
Perhaps there are people of similar age and circumstances who now find themselves with the time to engage with and support young people within the fostering fraternity. There are certainly many different options to do so as a foster carer. The ongoing support received from Five Rivers has been crucial in my fostering endeavours, engaging and meeting with my very supportive link worker on a regular basis. The reassurance of a phone call for every day I have a young person staying in an emergency placement is invaluable.
I am thankful to be able to provide this support to young people and would hope to continue for some time, for I have certainly met with some lovely people along the way.
