Fostering little Beth, aged 7, appeared to be straightforward to begin with. She was a sweet-natured child who had been well looked after by her father, a single parent. However, Cathy, an experienced foster carer, began to feel something wasn’t right in Beth’s home life, although it was difficult to identify what it was – more an instinct really.
Eventually, Cathy became so concerned she raised her worries with Beth’s social worker, Jessie. No action was taken until Jessie took Beth to the hospital, when suddenly everything changed. All contact between Beth and her father was abruptly stopped, and Jessie asked Cathy if she would look after Beth permanently.
Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 150 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She is a specialist foster carer, also referred to as a level three carer, which means she often looks after children with complex needs or those with very challenging behaviour. Much of her inspiration for writing comes from fostering. She was awarded a degree in education and psychology, as a mature student.
Cathy has always combined fostering with writing, rising very early every morning in order to write, before the day begins with her ever changi...
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