After Clive and Lisa's son left to start university, the couple felt they were ‘rattling around a bit’ in the family home of 25 years.

Lisa had been thinking about fostering for a while, but working from home since lockdown made it seem more possible. Clive jokes that he was ‘conned’ into fostering by his wife who found out about our fostering programme online and booked them on to an information evening.

As they explored the idea further, Clive became more and more invested: “I had thought that as we went through the process we’d find reasons why fostering wasn’t for us, but the opposite happened. The more we learnt, the more it seemed that we really could foster.”

By the end of the five month training and approval process, Clive was ‘raring to go’ and is now a huge advocate of fostering: “It’s of benefit in so many ways. There’s that great feeling from knowing that you really are making a difference to these children, but having kids around has also brought our house back to life again and stopped us slipping into a rut.”

The couple currently have two long term foster placements with them: 17 year old Bella and 8 year old Toby (names changed to protect their identities).

They're currently converting a box room which was being used as Lisa’s home office back into a bedroom. This is so they can be on the list for providing short-term, short-notice, emergency places and also be able to offer respite for other foster carers.

Fostering as a career

Lisa works full-time, and Clive is now taking early retirement to spend more time with the children they look after. The couple feel that the ‘wage’ for fostering, tax incentives and allowances for each child are generous.

Clive is very open about the fact that as well as being immensely rewarding, it’s fostering that's financially enabling him to retire. Technically, he’s changing career rather than retiring, but as Clive points out, “Fostering doesn’t feel like work at all.”

Proud Moments

They’ve not been fostering for that long, but the couple are full of stories and proud moments to share.

For Clive, a favourite moment is when Bella got her GCSE results. Her school attendance had been very low when she’d moved in with them, but they managed to get her to attend school regularly again, and agree to extra council-funded tutoring support as she worked towards her exams. She ended up getting 7 GCSEs with good grades and is now at college doing a BTEC/A Levels: a real life-changing turnaround.

For Lisa, her proudest moment was taking Bella to prom, knowing she helped create the stability and the environment that meant Bella could enjoy that special teenage event.

Some of the ‘normal’ teenager experiences that the couple have given Bella are really moving. From taking her on her first holiday abroad, which included her first time in a hotel swimming pool and first time sunbathing on a beach, to her simply being able to have friends round to the house.

The couple has succeeded in supporting Bella to get back on a path of education, already giving her more options than she would have had otherwise. They have also helped her feel safe and welcome, to the extent that she’s made lots of friends and can enjoy the social side of teenage life. Neither of these achievements are small things, and together they show the depth of support that Clive and Lisa are giving Bella. As Clive puts it: “I feel we’ve given her an outlook, shown her the life she can lead, what she can achieve, that actually the world can be her oyster.”

Part of a supportive team

The couple see themselves as a team taking on different elements of what’s needed in the new family setup. Clive takes Toby to school and answers his many questions about space, stars and science. Lisa tends to tackle more of the emotional issues. But there are no strict rules, no set roles, and both are determined to be there for the children in whatever capacity is needed.

Even the family pets, dogs Mac and Tosh, are part of the support team. Lisa explains: “They are great ice breakers with children who may be withdrawn, or feeling angry or scared when they come to us. The dogs are on hand for cuddles and have that way of knowing, as dogs do, when someone needs a bit of attention or a snuggle.”

Clive and Lisa are also part of Stockport Council's Mockingbird programme where foster carers help each other out with babysitting and have regular meetups. It’s like an extended family, giving the children a feeling of belonging, as well as wider support and friendships for the fosterers. On top of this, Lisa is part of the foster carer’s charity committee which raises funds to put on activities and outings for locally fostered children.

The couple have got friends old and new who foster, as well as their own network of family and friends. They also have support from their own dedicated social worker who the couple says is always on hand and help with everything from arranging a first passport for Bella, to being there for a quick chat or to answer specific queries.

“We’ve told Bella she has a whole team supporting her, because that’s how we feel”, say the couple. “We’re not on our own any more than she is.”

Could You Foster?

The sad fact is that there are more children needing a loving and stable foster home than there are foster carers. Clive and Lisa know that they could fill the house 10 times over.

We ask the couple if they wish they'd started fostering sooner. Clive barely pauses: “While both still working full-time we’d have only been able to take on older children, but yes, absolutely. The reasons you give yourself to not do it, aren’t really reasons.”

Though fostering was on Lisa’s radar, it was not on Clive’s, but now he’d recommend it to anyone. “It can change your life for the better as well as the lives of the children. Just try it. I’d say to anybody, even if you’re not thinking about it, have a think about it.”

If you have room in your heart and your home, and curious to learn more about becoming a Foster Carer, please take the time to read the information on our website.  

Once you are ready to take the first step on your journey to becoming a foster carer, please get in touch with us via

• The Enquiry Form
• Email at enquire@fosterforgm.com
• Phone on 0300 303 0321

A committed and friendly member of our team will contact you within one working day of your enquiry and are here to answer any further questions you may have about fostering.  They will also explain and guide you through our step-by-step approach in your journey to becoming a foster carer.