For almost 24 years, Beverly Craig and her husband have had 14 “wee ones” – or foster children – through their doors.
And despite the “emotional rollercoaster” of nurturing a child destined to leave sooner rather than later, she would not change a thing.
“There isn’t one that has come through our door that my husband and I weren’t able to love very much and take them like our own,” she said. “It’s just been a joy.”
But with record numbers of children in care, more foster carers – like Beverly – are needed.
It is not a new problem. In recent years, Northern Ireland has not had enough carers to cope with demand.
But it appears it is becoming more acute, with the Fostering Network, a charity that supports foster carers and children, saying the number of children in need of care has been going up at a time when the number of carers is going down.
“We are not really keeping up with the level of recruitment that we need to see to ensure that every child who becomes looked after has the right opportunity to be placed with a fostering family,” the charity’s chief executive Sarah Thomas said.
For Beverly being a foster carer with children’s charity Barnardo’s is challenging but rewarding.
“Well, I suppose you are giving up your whole life, it’s 24/7 so you do need to think about it very carefully,” she said.
“But when you do it, it is amazing you’ll not regret it.”
If foster carers have room in their homes and “the capacity to love other people’s children like your own” the rest “comes naturally”, according to Beverly.
“The children come through your door and it is amazing – you are on one heck of a rollercoaster.”