A 25-year-old has achieved her dream of becoming a foster parent.

Beth Earnshaw, from Swanley, assumed that being single, working full-time and living with her parents might be barriers to reaching her goal.

Beth spoke of her journey to becoming a foster parent. Credit: Diagrama Fostering

However, after completing a training programme and a respite care placement in October with adoption and fostering charity Diagrama, she is now a fully qualified foster guardian.

Diagrama supports vulnerable people through residential care, adoption and fostering across the south east of England.

The teaching assistant has wanted to become a carer since she was in Year 12 when she studied a psychology module on child development.

She said: "Becoming a foster carer has been a very long-held dream, but my situation is very different from other foster carers.

"I am only 25, single, I work full time as a teaching assistant at a local primary school and I am still living at home with my parents.

"However, I was thrilled when Diagrama explained that they wanted to support people from all different walks of life, and I could enter their programme to train as a carer.

"I have a really good relationship with my parents and the way they parented me has been really helpful in preparing me for how I will work with children.

"I feel that having people at home to support me emotionally and give me advice through this process can only be positive.

"I'm definitely not wearing rose-tinted glasses.

"I know the fostering journey will have many ups and downs, but I am excited about the prospect of being able to input into a child's life and enrich their lives."

Following her first placement with a child in October, Beth couldn't wait for her next challenge.

After working with the 12-year-old, she said: "I had a sense of achievement knowing that I had managed to help the child have a good week and was excited for my next placement.

"The biggest challenge was trying to create a comfortable and relaxed environment, whilst knowing that at that age, I would have hated being in a stranger's house for my half-term.

"After the placement, I was told by my social worker that the child had said they had really enjoyed the week, which was really encouraging to hear - knowing they'd had a good time made it really worthwhile."

Diagrama fostering and adoption team manager Margaret Gardiner said: "There has been a surge in the numbers of children needing safe and secure placements in the foster system and the team at Diagrama are recruiting new fosterers to help with this demand.

"Many people dismiss fostering as a career choice because they are single or work full time, but many parents work full time or bring their children up on their own, so there is no reason why we wouldn't want to discuss whether they were suited to fostering."

Beth is now waiting for her first long-term placement as a foster parent.

To find out more about fostering, book a place on a Diagrama online information event here.

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