Meet Annabel

We are excited about the new possibilities that can emerge now that Safe Families and Home for Good have become one charity. Our vision has expanded, and this brings new opportunities.

We’d love to introduce you to Annabel. Her story shows us how the visions of both Safe Families and Home for Good have come together and complemented each other in the past, and this fills us with excitement for our future together.

Annabel’s story:

My husband Justin and I were only able to have two children, and I always wished we could have had more. There was space for more in our hearts and in the house.

I remember my son once said: “When you pick me up from school Mummy, I always feel like someone is missing.” That moment stuck with me. It felt prophetic.

We had friends at church who were foster carers and watching them look after children showed me that it wasn’t something impossible. It was something we could do too. They gave us the Home for Good book, and I felt inspired.

As a teacher, was I ready to give up my career?

How would our sons adapt?

Was God truly calling us to this?

For a while, I wrestled with these thoughts. Then, one day, Esther from Safe Families came to our church and gave a presentation. I saw an opportunity for my family to help another whilst figuring out whether fostering was right for us. I thought that we could try looking after children and having them to stay overnight and see how my boys react. I chatted with Esther straight after the service and before long it was all set up.

A highlight of our time volunteering with Safe Families was being matched with a mother of two who had a baby and older child. We looked after the baby boy every other weekend for over a year so that Mum could have a rest and spend time with her daughter. Our sons responded well to having a little one staying with us and this gave us confidence. The match was a blessing to both of us and we continued this arrangement even after formal Safe Families support ended. I built a strong relationship with Mum, and we still are in touch to this day.

Through our experiences of volunteering, we realized that fostering toddlers and babies would be the best fit for our family. We felt ready to start exploring fostering more seriously. Without Safe Families, I don’t think we would have had the confidence to take that next step.

To be sure fostering was truly God’s will for us, we took a week to pray and fast. I was eager to foster, but it was difficult to lay down my own desires and ask God what He really wanted for our family. Justin, on the other hand, wasn’t as sure, but as the days passed, he felt God guiding him toward this step as well.

We reached out to Home for Good and went through the process of becoming short-term foster carers for 0–3-year-olds. It was so precious to be able to look after babies and young children and have an impact on their lives. One of the most heartwarming aspects of fostering was seeing how our youngest son, who was around eight at the time, embraced his role with the children. As the youngest in our family, we had never seen this protective, nurturing side of him. It was a beautiful discovery—he was a natural with younger kids.

Of course, fostering came with its own set of challenges. The joy of forming bonds with these children was often paired with the heartbreak of saying goodbye when they moved on. Once we had already begun foster caring, Home for Good employed their first worker in Wales where we were based. He was such a support to us and together we set up a network of Christian foster carers and adopters in our local area to support each other. While I already had Christian community that prayed for me, there is something unique about connecting with others who are experiencing the same thing as you. Their support was priceless.

After fostering four children, we felt that it was right for our family to step back. This was difficult for me at the time, but in hindsight it was right that we stopped when we did, and we believe that God only had those four children in mind for us to foster during that season. Now, as God leads me into a new chapter, I’ve begun training to become a social worker, with a focus on Child Protection—a passion that has grown out of our fostering journey.

While I am no longer a foster carer, I continue to be a Home for Good Church Champion in my local church where I am an elder, inspiring and educating others about the issues faced by children in the care system.

Looking back, I’m so grateful for how volunteering with Safe Families and fostering shaped our family. Opening our home not only filled that "missing" space but also revealed strengths and gifts we never knew we had. The experiences we’ve shared, the lives we’ve touched, and the love we’ve given and received have all become an integral part of who we are.

In 2023, our supporters helped us to support 1449 families, and journey with 667 people as they explored fostering and adoption. As we look towards an expanded vision as a merged organisation, there is still more work to do. At this moment, can you help us meet the opportunities by giving to enable more families to be supported, and to find more homes for children who need them by becoming a regular financial supporter?

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