Growing up in a fostering household inspired one dedicated teenager to become a foster carer herself.

When Dayna was 16, her mum decided to become a foster carer and looked after two young brothers, who are still with the family more than seven years later.

The experience of being a foster carer’s daughter was the inspiration for Dayna’s natural progression to becoming one herself.

In early 2020, Dayna and her husband Jonathan were approved as foster carers with Foster4 and are now caring for a young boy, who has been settled with them for just over a year.

The youngster is enjoying family life and loves spending time with Dayna’s two foster siblings.

Following in her mum’s footsteps meant that Dayna knew what to expect from foster caring and also had a good understanding of how the process works, which helped with her Foster4 application.

Dayna said: “Our fostering experience has been incredibly rewarding for both of us.

“The young boy who we care for has fitted in with our family perfectly and we hope to be able to continue to care for him on a long-term basis.

“The local authority has been very supportive throughout our whole journey and we were thrilled to have been so well matched.

“It has been a highlight for us to watch our foster child thrive and develop over the past year and to be told that this is because of him living with us and feeling like part of the family is extremely fulfilling.”

Dayna added: “I would encourage anyone considering being a foster carer to do their research, talk to other foster carers and find out as much as possible about this rewarding role.

“Contacting Foster4 would be a great start.”

For more information about fostering visit foster4.co.uk or call 01925 444100.

You can also email fosteringrecruitment@warrington.gov.uk or use @foster4cheshire on Facebook and Instagram.

Join Foster4 at their next webinars

Foster4’s virtual information sessions have proven popular with prospective carers during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to be held virtually over the next few months.

Attending an information session can be the first step on your journey to becoming a foster carer.

The sessions provide excellent insight into the role and are an opportunity to find out more, asking any questions before an initial visit to your home from the fostering teams.

The next 45-minute live session will be held remotely on Tuesday, August 24 at 6pm, with others on Thursday, September 9 at 10am and Tuesday, September 28 at 12.30pm.

For anyone unable to attend one of the virtual sessions, there is a 15-minute introduction video about fostering, the process involved and the support you can expect to receive from Foster4.

You can also hear some practical advice from a local foster carer, where she talks about her own experience of fostering.

For more information, to watch the video or to sign up to attend a session, please visit https://www.foster4.co.uk/info-sessions/