Foster carers and young people in Slough have been sharing their experiences in a bid to breakdown common myths.

The Slough Children’s Services Trust has worked with some its carers to produce blogs to be published over the current Foster Care Fortnight.

Mandy Foley, from Cippenham, has been fostering for eight years.

She said: “I’d mistakenly assumed that I’d be unable to foster as a single parent. How wrong I was. Over eight years I’ve fostered 17 children, whose placements have ranged from one night to more than two years. I’ve had a number of jobs over the years, working in accounts, as a childminder and at a nursery but fostering is a job that makes you feel proud and is definitely my best one yet.”

Sofia Sattar, from Slough, has been fostering for a year and knows that faith can really help with fostering and is certainly not a barrier:

She said: “I would definitely say my faith as a Muslim has been a key factor, with the sense of community spirit and 'giving back.' My current foster child practises a different faith to me and I support her in doing that, with no problems. The best thing about fostering has been having a child join our journey and experience family life.”

Denise Chappell is a mum of three, who runs her own business and started fostering at the age of 24. She is passionate about the impact fostering has had on her own children.

She said: “Being part of a fostering family makes my kids the amazing little people they are. They are kind, patient and they get that we’re not all the same and we haven’t all had the same chances in life.”

Connie James has been fostering with her husband, Keith for more than 30 years and says: “My husband and I still foster in our 60s, which helps keep us young."

Danesh is 18 and has been with his foster carers for four years: "They’ve become like family and they’ve changed my life. Thanks to their love and support, I’m now training to become a mechanic.”

For more information about fostering please contact 0800 0730291 or visit www.scstrust.co.uk/fostering.