Fostering of a different kind

PAUL and Suzannah Marland-Griffiths

SUZANNAH Marland Griffiths didn't choose fostering - it chose her.

It takes someone very special to open up their home to embrace a stranger into their family, but Suzannah knew from a young age she wanted to be that someone.

She enjoyed a happy childhood and a stable home life. However, she says her illusions were shattered when she started secondary school and realised not everyone was as fortunate as her.

Suzannah said: "I had a really nice childhood, I was very happy.

"But when I started secondary school I was exposed to the reality of children who did not have the same things as me and I realised I was lucky. I took my life for granted.

"Secondary school opened my eyes to how difficult life is for some people and from then on I knew I wanted to give children the childhood I had.

"I had friends who had very unstable upbringings. One did go into the care, others maybe should have done but didn't. Once I became aware of that side of life I knew I wanted to go into that line of work.

"Two of my friends say they were my first foster children when we were at school. I used to share my lunch with one of them and just being a shoulder to cry on and being supportive when they needed it.

"They used to spend a lot of time at my house and were made to feel welcome. From then on I thought this is something I could do and I knew I wanted to be a foster carer for children who were not as lucky as me."

And 20 years later, when her own children were old enough and after a career working with children with physical and learning disabilities and in children's homes, Suzannah (46) fulfilled her dream to become a foster parent along with her husband, Paul (49).

A year ago Suzannah and Paul's 14 years of fostering took a new direction.

After providing a safe, loving and stable home to a host of youngsters, Oldham Fostering Service approached them about accepting a new challenge - parent and baby fostering.

The borough is in desperate need of foster carers to look after young parents and their newborn babies.

Driven by a desire to keep teenage parents and their babies together within their own communities, Oldham Council is one of the few authorities spearheading a campaign to find these unique placements within the borough rather than drawing on outside agencies.

The aim of the placement is to support the young parent, who may be having difficulties looking after their new baby, or need some extra help and advice so that they can do it well, to develop the parenting skills needed to care for their baby so they can eventually provide independent care for their child.

Going via the foster care route is proven to give young families a much better chance of staying together.

Suzannah said: "Parent and baby fostering is a recent thing for us.

"A year ago we were asked to consider it, so we thought why not, let's give it a go.

"It's working really, really well. Our first placement was a 17-year-old mum and her newborn baby. We've got the space here so she had her own bedroom and lounge and she wanted to be more independent.

Brilliant

"I was fostering a newborn as well at the time, so she mirrored me and how I looked after the baby.

"My current mum is 15 with a 10-week-old baby and they're doing amazing. Again, I've got a young baby and she is able to mirror me and my care.

"She is being a brilliant mum and turning her life around and I'm really enjoying having her here and sharing my skills set with someone."

Suzannah added: "The experience so far has been great and has breathed new life into my fostering. I'm really enjoying it.

"You're teaching them new skills and caring for a baby is a skill.

"You're also teaching them independence. You have to be able to enable them to be a parent. You are not doing it for them, you are supporting them to be able to do it for themselves and teaching them how to nurture because the mums may not have come from nurturing environments.

"To other foster carers I would say just give it a go.

"If you are in fostering to give people a better chance in life what better way than this; helping to keep a mother and baby together in a nurturing and safe environment."