Foster care is a transformative system that can change the life of a child in a positive and uplifting way. Here at BGFA we have numerous examples of our own foster children whose lives have been transformed since being fostered. We aim to ensure all our staff and foster carers engage in professional behaviour during the process of caring for a child or young person. We provide training and support for all foster carers to ensure they remain professional, understanding, and non-judgemental with the child or young person they care for.
All of BGFA’s foster carers have completed the Skills to Foster Preparation Course, and have access to both online and face to face training plus 24/7 support from the agency. We try to make certain that both the foster carers and foster children can access the support needed when required.
What are BGFA’s Core Values?
By embodying our values, we empower foster carers and children to build strong attachments, fostering an environment where carers and their foster placements feel the genuine love and support provided by the agency.
This reciprocal relationship enables carers to work harmoniously, while also providing support to our children - mirroring the same level of care they receive.
Our unwavering commitment to their well-being creates an environment instrumental to thriving and reaching full potential, ensuring those involved not only receive support but also experience tangible and lasting benefits.
BGFA’s core values
• Keep children healthy and safe from harm.
• Put the needs of children and young people first.
• Raise awareness and develop strategies to prevent bullying.
• Promote children's innate abilities and recognize and celebrate their achievements.
• Support carers to meet the required standards.
• Strive to transform the lives of disadvantaged children.
At BGFA we aim to focus all our efforts on children and those that care for them. Our values are key to ensure successful lives for all children and their foster carers. These pivots allow us to keep focused on the wellbeing of our children and foster carers, as well as enhancing and promoting both creative and educational growth within children.
How BGFA’s values support foster placements
BGFA goes above and beyond to ensure our values are consistent throughout the organisation. This is shown through the foster children whose lives have been transformed, and who have been able to achieve great things because of the opportunities provided through foster care.
We have our own BGFA transformation stories!
Our transformation stories involve incredible foster families who have taken charge in focusing on foster children unable to live at home. Firstly, we will start off with the story of H and P, who are both from Afghanistan and felt they wanted to give back to society- they were able to do that through foster care.
H and P welcomed two boys from Afghanistan and Kuwait, who had experienced trauma from an early age. When the boys first came to H and P, they could barely speak, and it took a few months to bring them out of themselves and eventually open up. Both the carers and the foster children relied on Google translate to communicate.
H and P encouraged the boys to speak to their families back home, as they didn’t want them to lose touch, especially after what they had previously gone through. H and P's own son, who was diagnosed Autism, found that having the boys around him helped his developmental progress. They later explained how “fostering has done the family so much good”.
Now, they have reached a stage of great communication and independence, with the youngest boy going to school on his own using public transport - showcasing willingness to grow into a young man.
This just goes to show the positive effect fostering can have not only on children but also families, these transformative stories are inspiring and hopeful to all children and carers.
Our second story visits S and R who couldn’t have children and decided to take the route of fostering. They were contacted and were given the option to care for 3 girls from a white, English and Christian background. S and R welcomed them with open arms, despite both being from Pakistani Muslim backgrounds, they were excited to care for these girls.
During their first Christmas together as a foster family, S and R bought Christmas presents and decorations for the kids, also putting a tree up. The girls were only meant to be with them for two weeks, however, they ended up staying for 7 years.
S and R made sure to keep the girls connected to both their religion and culture. R would read the girls bible stories every night and would take the girls to Church every Sunday. Not only were the girls involved in the English culture, they were also partaking in Pakistani Muslim festivities such as Eid; wearing henna and learning to cook traditional Pakistani food.
S and R’s dedication led to incredible transformative care for both girls, who embraced both the English and Pakistani cultures, becoming a part of a wonderful and inspiring community.
Our third transformative story involves British Pakistani carer SA, who was caring for a deeply traumatised boy from Syria. Both SA and the boy were only able to communicate through Google Translate. However, later on SA learned Arabic, and the boy soon picked up English six months later. SA stated that “it took ages to gain his trust”, but soon enough she had a breakthrough when she pronounced an Arabic word wrong and her foster child started laughing.
SA finally broke down the walls, allowing for her foster child to truly open up and feel the safety and security he so very much needed. This relationship was described as that of a “mother to her son” by SA, a true transformative success.
What our foster carers have to say about their experiences!
“Foster caring is a rewarding role; it helps change a child’s life when they come into care. Watching a child or young person gain confidence and develop is a source of great satisfaction and pride. Foster carers gain knowledge and experience as they progress through their fostering journey, benefiting from the training offered to them.
Throughout my fostering journey, it has inspired my own children to consider becoming foster carers in the future. Fostering not only positively impacts the lives of children but also benefits foster carers and their families, who open their doors and provide a nurturing home and environment.”
- Musarat Khan (BGFA Foster Carer)
“Foster Care is an extremely rewarding experience to see the children blossom in your care, making a significant difference in the lives of children who are at a very difficult stage. It is a very fulfilling endeavour."
- Mohammed Khalid (BGFA Foster Carer)
“Foster care can provide stability, safety, and security for a child, enabling them to grow up in a nurturing family environment. The benefits for the foster carer are equally impactful. Personally, I find it to be the most rewarding role, offering the opportunity to make a profound impact on a child's life, which is a gift in itself. Fostering has allowed me years of giving and receiving love.”
- Carly Killick- Lovasz (BGFA Foster Carer)
“Benefits of foster care for a carer include bringing positive change to a child's life, enabling the acquisition of new skills and improvement of existing ones, and experiencing the joy of giving and receiving love.
For a child in foster care, the benefits include being in a safe environment, receiving necessary assistance for their well-being, with a focus on prioritising their overall welfare.”
- Ani Rafiq (BGFA Foster Carer)
“Foster care establishes a robust support system for young children/adults, connecting them to various multi-agency resources that can significantly impact their lives. It not only aids the carer in offering the best possible care for the child but also contributes to the foster carer's personal and professional development.”
- Shaheen Azam (BGFA Foster Carer)
how is it working with bgfa as a foster carer?
“Since I have been working as a foster carer with BGFA I am pleased to say that support is always available, I have supervisions which are beneficial to myself. “
- Musarat Khan (BGFA Foster Carer)
“My experience has been very positive. From social workers and staff to the managers, everyone is just a phone call away for advice and guidance. You never feel alone in this journey. The entire BGFA family works together to improve the lives of these children.”
- Mohammed Khalid (BGFA Foster Carer)
“Working with BGFA is like being part of a family—my family. The high social worker-to-carer ratio ensures unparalleled support, surpassing that of larger agencies due to their small, closely-knit team. Everyone at BGFA knows me and my children personally. I genuinely feel that BGFA truly cares about my children. It's not about numbers and names on pieces of paper; it's about real people. BGFA cares about my children's best interests as much as I do.”
- Carly Killick- Lovasz (BGFA Foster Carer)
“My experience as a BGFA foster carer has been excellent. The support I've received from all levels has been second to none. There is always someone at the end of the phone, which is very reassuring. BGFA goes above and beyond what you could expect from an agency, and it's the little things they do that make a big difference.”
- Ani Rafiq (BGFA Foster Carer)
“I have worked with BGFA for over 12 years now, and I have always felt well supported and appreciated by the team. BGFA has always been available over the phone or in person for advice, guiding me throughout my placements.”
- Shaheen Azam (BGFA Foster Carer)
At BGFA we are always looking for new foster carers!
We are currently experiencing a national shortage of foster carers, we understand not everyone is able to foster, but if you feel like you can, please contact us on info@bgfa.co.uk or call us on 01753 868686.
