With the right support, we believe that every child can grow up to lead a meaningful life. If you become a foster carer, you could be the person to provide that support.

We regularly receive feedback from our young people and from their carers too with stories of how fostering really has transformed lives. The story below is just one example of the difference foster care can make.

Child A is a 15-year-old child from the Blackpool area who came to live with her current Foster with CANW foster carers in April 2023. She has spent a number of years in the care of the Local Authority and has experienced previous placement breakdowns, so her trust in adults was minimal. When A first arrived with her current carers, she struggled in several areas and was extremely cautious of everyone around her.

Over the last two years, her foster carers have supported A to grow in confidence. Through a shared passion for horses, carer S has built up a rapport with A and acted as her mentor at the stables. A now has her own horse (called Floss) and recently started to enter dressage competitions. In the summer she won a horse show at Thornton equestrian!  A refers to the stables as her ‘happy place’ and is grateful to have carers who support her in her love for horses, and animals in general!

Youth Council at CANW

Child A loves being a part of CANW, and regularly attends the Youth Council, which is a space for CANW teenagers to come together and shape the charity moving forwards. Through attending the Youth Council, A learned that the charity often relies on donations to fund trips out for the children, amongst other things. She decided that she would like to fundraise for CANW, and after some consideration, she chose to take part in a sponsored Bungee Jump at Salford Quays. She said:

“I have always wanted to do a bungee jump, it doesn’t scare me, I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie! I have never raised money for charity before, and I wanted to raise money for CANW, because I like how they support young people and families. On the day, I was a little bit nervous, but everyone was friendly, and my carers came to cheer me on and take video evidence! I had a really good day and I am pleased I managed to raise so much. Next time I want to jump from even higher!”

Daredevil A managed to raise a grand total of £505 from her sponsored Bungee Jump, which is incredible and can be well used within the charity.

Her social worker,  foster carers and the wider team at CANW are all incredibly proud of how far A has come over the last two years and can’t wait to see what she does next! Well done!