The foster carer giving teens a place to call home
Teenagers in the care system can often wait longer to be placed with foster carers for a number of reasons.
Cheryl from Leasowe is a Wirral Council foster carer who almost exclusively fosters children age 13 and over. We caught up with her to learn more about her story.
Recalling how she got into fostering, Cheryl said her daughters' careers in social care and midwifery made her realise there were vulnerable families locally that needed support.
Cheryl said:
I’d been a carer for my dad but after he passed away and joined my mum, it was just me in a three-bed semi. I’d seen a few adverts for fostering and I thought, ‘I’m going to do it’.
Cheryl was single, in her 60s, working three days a week as a civil servant. She had doubts about her suitability as a foster carer. Cheryl said:
I thought I was too old, or that being on my own might be a problem. I was even worried about whether I was suited, did I have the emotional capacity to cope with children moving on from me if they transitioned back to family, or on to adoption.
Five years on, Cheryl is an experienced foster carer who has already cared for 15 children. She is currently fostering two 16-year-old girls, who have been with her for two years.
She quickly found her niche in fostering older children and teens.
Cheryl said:
Sometimes teens can wait longer to find a placement. But for me, I felt I’d be better suited to that age group. As I’m on my own and still working, the age and maturity of a teenager means they can get themselves to and from school.
49% of children looked after in Wirral are between 13 and 18 years old. Cheryl wants to support children in this age group, especially those in the care system.
Cheryl said:
Being a teenager is tough – those years from 13 to 18 you’re pushing and testing boundaries to find out who you are and figure out your place in the world. It’s a hugely transitional time.
We often think the worst of teenagers but I’ve found that most times, they’re good kids and they’re going through a difficult time. I recently watched the show ‘Adolescence’ on Netflix with Stephen Graham – I thought it made a good point about the digital world – there’s a lot out there for teens to cope with now. We had freedom – they don’t get a moment’s peace now. It’s up to us to be there.
Adolescence, released in March 2025, is a hard-hitting drama that shines a light on several dark issues, including the impact of social media on teenagers. Cheryl says it’s up to adults to help young people cope with the stresses of the modern world.
Cheryl said:
A lot of the angsty behaviour we see with teens is about their own anxieties and self-esteem. They need someone to moan to, someone who won’t ditch them at the first hurdle.
I’m a mum to two daughters who lost their dad at a young age. One thing I’ve learnt from them is that it passes – exam worries, fall outs with friends – one way other another they get through it.
It’s about helping them get to the other side and see that, it’ll pass.
Cheryl has had a lot of training as a foster carer. She said:
A few of the kids I’ve fostered have had ADHD or autism. I’ve had training around that, plus first aid, trauma and resilience training. It’s been helpful to apply to life not just to fostering.
Cheryl says she would recommend anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch. Cheryl said:
Make the enquiry, ask the questions – speak to people who have done it,” she said. “Don’t let your own thoughts about what you have or don’t have affect things.
You can commit in many different ways and it’s a very rewarding job. That doesn’t mean it’s easy but then I don’t think raising children is easy. Why would a foster kid be any different?
A significant number of children who need foster carers are young people or teenagers, both girls and boys. Wirral Council is part of Foster4, a collaborative fostering recruitment hub in the Northwest. If you’d like to find out more about fostering, visit the Foster4 website.
