Foster carers for 18 years 'would never look back'

A couple who have been foster caring for 18 years said they would "never look back" on what they described as the "perfect life".

Diane Bines, 58, and Brian Bines, 68, from Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, first fostered a child when their six-year-old daughter Emma asked for a sibling.

Mrs Bines said it was "not for a minute" that they predicted they would go on to look after successive children for nearly two decades.

Peterborough City Council said it urgently needed more foster carers to sign up so that children could live in a family home.

The authority has 81 families working with its fostering service but said there were 148 children in its care unable to live with their birth parents.

Cambridgeshire County Council also said it was seeing a shortage of foster carers, with many children in the county waiting for a home.

Across the East of England, approximately 7,000 children are in care, with the equivalent of a classroom of children coming into care every week.

Mr and Mrs Bines first considered fostering in 2006 when they brought their daughter to see a pantomime.

"It got us thinking, there's children about that are not as lucky as our daughter," said Mrs Bines.

They had a chat as a family and decided to begin the application process.

Their daughter Emma, now 24, was "really, really excited" about the prospect of having a sibling.

"Although she was a bit disappointed when the first one came and she wasn't called Snow White," joked Mrs Bines.

The application process involved asking questions about the family and their working life, as well as courses and tests to make sure they were ready for what was involved.

"There was a glint in Di's eye when she was doing it, she really gets stuck in," said Mr Bines.

He described his main job as the "taxi driver", adding: "Things like that, you know, taking the children here, there and everywhere."

The couple admit that there have been challenges and said their motto was to "always expect the unexpected".

There have been volatile children, they said, a non-verbal child with a difficult background who could become angry, or simply times when children were sad after visiting their birth parents.

"They're really quite down when they come back," said Mrs Bines.

"But McDonald's usually helps, things like that, just to cheer them up."

They described the support from the council as "incredible", saying they never felt like they needed to deal with issues alone.

Mrs Bines said: "I would never look back, it's just worked – it's our perfect life."

All foster parents receive a weekly allowance to cover the cost of caring ranging from about £165 and £289 a week, but can be more depending on the age of the child and level of experience of the foster carer.

Fosterers also qualify for tax relief and are eligible for other allowances including for holidays, birthdays, travel or the costs of buying baby equipment or furniture.

Katy Cole, a councillor and cabinet member for children's services at Peterborough City Council, said: "Fostering is an incredible way to make a lasting difference in a child's life, offering them stability, care, and the chance to experience a loving family home.

"By opening your heart and home, you provide more than just shelter – you provide hope, security, and the chance for a brighter future."