Tracey And Ray Realise Fostering Dream With Fostering RCT

Just a few days after being welcomed to Fostering RCT and new carer Tracey Lewis Veysey and her husband, Ray, have become carers for twin baby girls. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Former nurse Tracey and Ray, who still works full time, are now looking forward to beginning the fostering journey they have been waiting for the last two years for. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tracey and Ray were fostering for a private agency for the last 18months but decided to move over to the Council’s Fostering RCT service because of its extensive and successful matching service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Every RCT child that comes into care becomes a child of Fostering RCT and a huge amount of work goes into ensuring that child is placed with a foster carer who can best meet their needs – including those related to their age, their siblings, their behaviour and even hobbies and interests. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Fostering RCT always considers its own in-house foster carers for the children that come into its care first as it knows them and what they can offer so well. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

If there are no Fostering RCT carers available or suitable, then the service may consider placing the child with a carer who works for an independent fostering agency. However, these businesses employ people from all over the UK, which can lead to an RCT child being removed from their school, their social circles and the only community they have ever known. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This is why it is essential there are Fostering RCT carers in Rhondda Cynon Taf, providing local care for local children so successful matches can be made. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tracey, 53, explained: “My background as a neonatal and paediatric nurse meant I wanted to commit myself to the care of babies and young children. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I was impressed with the matching service at Fostering RCT, which enabled children to be placed with the carer who best met their needs. There are Fostering RCT carers who are amazing with large sibling groups and others who just seem to thrive on helping teenagers find their way in life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“For me, it was always about helping out in the early years and I found at the agency I was not able to fulfil this, so I decided to move. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I already had friends who worked for Fostering RCT and I have made many more friends in the few weeks since I joined through the induction courses and coffee mornings. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“ It’s wonderful to be part of a large community of foster carers who all live near to each other and work as one big family to raise children in care. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I feel so welcome and supported already. It’s been a whirlwind though as I returned my approval letter on the Monday and by the Friday afternoon I had five-month-old girls in my care. I feel so sad for them and their family that the girls have ended up in care but also proud that I can provide them with the love and care they need until the next stage of their lives begin. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This also the proper start of a journey I left my job to begin two years ago, I have always wanted to make a difference to the lives of baby and children, to help them thrive and grow at a crucial stage of life and look after them until they are able to either return to their birth family or move on to adoption. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I worked long hours as a nurse for nearly 30 years and moved to a different position in the Welsh Blood Service as I was a single mum to my son, Ieuan, who is now 20 and at university. I needed to be there for him to get him to sports matches and other extra-curricular activities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I married when I was 49 and Ray was 54 and we wanted to help children together. We decided on fostering because we have a lot of love to give. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“A friend of ours is a Fostering RCT carer and we used to help her out when she needed childcare and so we knew it was for us. We cannot wait to get started.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Geraint Hopkins, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Equality and the Welsh Language is also the authority’s Fostering Champion. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He said: “Children of all ages come into the care of the Council for a range of reasons – none of them are ever the child’s fault. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Every looked-after child in the county borough is considered a child of the council and a child of Fostering RCT and, when looking for a foster home for them, we consider our carers first. The more carers we have, from as many different walks of life as possible, the greater the chance we have of finding our children a foster home that best meets their needs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We have welcomed a number of people like Ray and Tracey, who have moved from other organisations to Fostering RCT in the last few weeks and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for moving to us – and encourage others to consider joining Fostering RCT.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

If you are interested in joining Fostering RCT like Tracey and Ray then get in touch now. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We offer extensive and ongoing training, social events and fees and allowances that reflect your caring role, as well as paid respite. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Those looking to move to Fostering RCT from another organisation can be reassured their existing fees will be matched and they will join the community of local carers who are working together on behalf of the looked-after children of Rhondda Cynon Taf. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​