Currently Viewing Posts in Testimonial

“I’ve been a foster carer with Five Rivers Fostering for five years. During this time we’ve had many children stay with us, both long and short term. It’s hard to describe the feeling to see a child become comfortable and settled in your family, especially when they’ve been through a traumatic experience. Although sad, it’s very rewarding to see a child return to their family, where possible and know you helped them through that sad time. We had a little boy living with us for two years. We were heartbroken when he moved home, but himself and his Mum will be lifelong friends of our family. Our link worker, is more like a member of our family. She’s always there with a shoulder to cry on when a child leaves and offers endless support when a child moves in.The 24 hours on call service is so reassuring. Even if you never need to use it, to know there is someone at the end of the phone if I need them, makes me sleep better at night. If you feel you have room in your heart and your home for a child in need, I can’t recommend Five Rivers Fostering highly enough!”

“Bringing children into your home, helping them and seeing them change in front of your eyes is so rewarding! Knowing that what you do is helping the children and their families, it’s such a good feeling when all goes well and the children can return home. We found since we have fostered it has brought out feelings in us, we didn’t know we had…”

“Our initial assessment and training took place over a six month period and involved regular meetings with our link social worker from Five Rivers Fostering. We were trained for fostering in general, and for emergency care fostering in particular.

Initially, it was quite daunting to receive a phone call in the middle of the night seeking to place a young person in our care. However, we soon realised that there was nothing to fear and that the person coming to us was in need of an emergency place of safety. As emergency carers since June 2009, we have welcomed several young people, ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years into our home. Placements have lasted from just one night up to seven nights.

For us it has been a most rewarding experience. Our lives have been enriched, especially by the young people who came to stay with us, but also by all the carers and social workers with whom we have come into contact through fostering. We have always felt completely supported by the staff of Five Rivers Fostering and by our own link social worker in particular. It is reassuring to know that there is a social worker on-call 24 hours a day if the need arises.

We are truly glad that we became foster carers. We would recommend to anyone who has an interest in fostering to make enquiries about the different types of fostering possibilities to see which one they may be able to do.”

When we first started our journey with Five Rivers Fostering, little did we know the wonderful family we were about to gain, with all the fun and acceptance which that entails. As the days, weeks and months passed and placements were made, we experienced deep veins of support and guidance from all professionals.Every success was celebrated and each problem was shared, we never once felt alone. Training was always on offer and great fun, yet informative and helpful also. We have gained so much as foster carers and we can honestly say that in five Rivers Ireland we have gained as a whole family, in more ways than one

I found the assessment very thorough but my assessing social worker told me it would be! I found that a lot of questions were asked and at the time I did not know why. Once I read my report it all made sense. Now being a foster carer, I understand why my social worker needed to know all the information she asked about. I have a foster child with me and the placement is going really well for both of us. My social worker knows me so well, she knows exactly the support that I need. The support that I have received since my foster child arrived has been amazing. I never feel like I am on my own. Having gone through the process I would gladly do it all over again as seeing my foster child thrive and grow into the person that he wants to be is so rewarding 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Five Rivers Fostering directors, management, and staff for my placement in Donegal.

When I arrived in Ireland 3 years ago I was frightened. Five Rivers Fostering gave me the opportunity at a new life for myself and my new home for the next few years was in Donegal, which are 3 years I will cherish. Over the course of the 3 years I matured greatly and developed self confidence which I did not have before. I was welcomed with open arms.

I enjoyed school in the Abbey Vocational School and was encouraged in my education at all times by my foster carers. I was also encouraged to participate in after school activities.

I used to attend NoName disco’s and after sometime I become a leader and organiser of the discos this then lead me to start attending Forogie.

Foroige offer a Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Programme. Basically this programme recognises the innate leadership capabilities and potential in young people and gives them an opportunity to develop their skills and attributes in a fun and encouraging environment.

The National University of Ireland, Galway, accredited Foroige’s leadership programme as a Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and CommunityAction. In October2013 Iattended NUIG and received my certificate for completing this course. This experience at a top Irish University really inspired me and now my goal is to achieve a Degree in Pharmaceutical Studies which I hope one day will come true.

I have seen a big change in myself since I arrived in Ireland all those years ago. The placement in Donegal suited me, it was a friendly environment and made me feel at ease from the start which was important and helped me settle in. Encouraging me in my education studies and Youth Leadership has given me the belief that I can now one day achieve my goal of attending 3rd level education.

Please feel free to share my story with other foster placement children to show that the future is infact very bright in foster placement. I have also attached my photograph taken at NUIG where I received my certificate.

Again, I would like to thank Fiver Rivers for the last number of years in their care.

Before starting out as a family that fosters my brothers and I all had a similar idea of what it would be like, we all thought that we would be extending our family and my brothers and I were excited to do so. We have gained some truly positives experiences that could only be acquired through fostering, such as being able to discuss life experiences with children and young adults from many walks of life and having our eyes truly opened to how lucky we are to have the family we do and how proud we should be of our parents for wanting to open our family up to those who are not as fortunate as we are.

Having been in a family that fosters now for 3 years, it has been interesting to seeing the different sides of fostering such as short term, long term and emergency placement. Each brings their own challenges and rewards for both our parents and ourselves. Understanding and accepting that it was not all going to be ‘sunshine and daisy’s’ as such was vital as a family who fosters as the children who come to your home are often from very difficult backgrounds. Acknowledging that fact, we have gained an approach to conversations which is much more considerate to other people than it would have been if we had not had the chance to experience fostering. My brothers and I feel truly privileged to have met all the people that have come through our door whether it was only for a day or in the case of our long-term foster brother for 3 years so far. If we had not been given the chance to experience being part of a family that fosters we genuinely think that we would have missed out on some truly beneficial experiences and hope to continue to add to our experiences for years to come.

I am 9 years old, I love football and camogie.

When I was first told about fostering, no matter how many talks our family had, I still was so nervous before our first foster child came, but now I am so excited every time someone arrives as I have someone to play with. We have had several kids who may only stay a night or two through the emergency and can be sad saying goodbye but I know I have helped in some way as I know I have an important role.

Also having a full time foster child mom and dad are busier now but always make time for us and it’s like having another sibling in the house.

I am so glad my parents decided to foster with five rivers as they have lots of fun days and we get taken out by our link worker for treats.

RC

While fostering is different for everyone and no two placements are the same, my experience has been a positive one that makes me feel good because I know that my family are helping people. I can’t really remember a time when my family didn’t foster because for me family life hasn’t changed that much at all, we still do all the things we used to do together as a family, but now there are other children with us. Since we have fostered, I have met people from different backgrounds that I normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to. When we get a call that someone is coming to stay with us, I sometimes feel nervous that I might know the person who is coming to stay and I think that might be little bit awkward and uncomfortable for both of us but that is part of fostering and I always try to make the person welcome into our home. Through fostering I have learned to share and to open my home to other people and I am comfortable with people coming to stay and also leaving our home, whereas before we fostered I wouldn’t have been able to. I have made friends with other children who foster and have found that it is really helpful to be friends with and to be able to talk to people who understand what it is like to foster. Even though fostering doesn’t really affect my everyday life, I do find that I am more understanding and more aware of people’s situations and that other people could be going through difficult times. I would recommend fostering, as it has been a very positive experience for me.

L.S, 15

I’ve really enjoyed the last 7 years of fostering. The experience has been really enjoyable but it can have challenges along the way. But the majority of it has been great it has really opened my eyes to different aspects of people’s lives and how great it is to support foster kids. Due to fostering, I chose to study community youth and development in college to help troubled kids that need help.