From Foster Care to Keynote Speaker
On the 9th May 2019, I was honoured at being invited to be one of the Keynote Speakers at the Brighton and Hove Foster Carers Conference, that took place at the Amex Stadium in Brighton.
As I entered the hall, I felt the tangible warmth and welcome not only from the event hosts, but this also translated through the décor of the hall. Gold balloons positioned at the centre of each table, along with other balloons displaying the words ‘Thank You’ also in gold letters; the beautiful and stunning colour co-ordination of the entire setting, the layout of round tables, hosting the 200 Foster Carers who had already arrived and were enjoying the breakfast that had been provided for them.
Taking in the view, I was moved to tears as I wished that my Foster Carers had been able to attend such an event, to be celebrated and appreciated by our Local Authority in Bristol in this prestigious and thoughtful manner. I also thought about whether other Foster Carers across our nation were being celebrated and appreciated in this way, for their selfless commitment to the vocation of being a Foster Carer, opening up their heart and their homes to children and young people who are in desperate need of care, love, support and stability.
The entire event proved to be inspiring, empowering, encouraging and filled with great emotion as Foster Carers empathised with the stories shared.
From my Foster Care experience, I was able to share my story and base this on ‘The Foster Carers Super Powers’, which I identify as my Foster Carers ability to use their Powers of Unconditional Love, Acceptance and Understanding, Patience and the ability to Nurture along with their Power of Stickability (sticking with me through my low and troubled times), which helped to shape my life and begin the transformation process that has led me to who I am today and am continually becoming.
I was also able to encourage the Foster Carers present to see that they too possessed these Super Powers, with an understanding that there are challenges when one Fosters, yet spurring them on to believe that the rewards will be greater as they keep doing their BEST and hope for the BEST because they truly do HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, as I’m a living witness that with the positive seeds planted into my then troubled life by my Foster Carers, that #CHANGEISPOSSIBLE.
As I reflect on my time spent at the Foster Carers Conference, I do hope that Brighton and Hove continue with this event on an annual basis and I also hope that it becomes a template for all Local Councils | Local Authorities to follow, as this is a powerful platform to celebrate their Foster Carers, and for those in Care to share their story which will in turn inspire others to become Foster Carers.