Forty years of fostering from one amazing Hemel couple

Joan and Reg East from Hemel Hempstead say their own lives have been made all the richer by the children they have helped, many of whom they are still in touch with.

The couple, who are both aged 78, first started fostering for Hertfordshire County Council when Joan worked as a secretary to a health visitor and heard about a baby girl in hospital who needed someone to foster her.

Four decades later, and the couple have nor looked back, having done both short and long-term fostering, as well as respite care.

Reg said: “We have never been empty in our house, we’ve never been without a foster child. We still keep in touch with so many of our foster children. In fact, we went to the wedding of one of our foster children last year!

“We have always wanted to give children TLC, some of the kids who haven’t been as lucky in life as we have, we want to give them a better life.”

The couple currently have one care leaver with them who joined them at the age of 12 and is now 20. They are also fostering a 15-year-old boy who has been with them for about eight weeks.

Joan said: “Seeing the children bloom is such a lovely feeling. You take them in and they don’t really understand love, but by the time they leave, they’ve started to give love back. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

The couple have three sons of their own and say they all embraced the situation, welcoming the many different foster children into their homes.

“We have three grown up sons,” said Reg. “The eldest was about 10 or 11 years old when we first fostered, and our youngest about 4-5. They really enjoyed it. When I look back on their lives, it really did them good. It made them more tolerant of children and appreciative of family life.”

Joan added: “My sons take what we do as the norm but that’s because we are invited to mix with other foster carers, which really helps. People think you are wonderful for being a foster carer, but you are just an ordinary person.

Fostering has not only changed the lives of the children they have fostered, but also the lives of Joan and Reg. The couple say they have countless highlights from their time in fostering, from receiving a bunch of red roses on Mother’s Day to those simply turning round and saying I Love You.

There are approximately 1,000 children in care in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire County Council is currently experiencing a severe shortage of foster carers and the couple are appealing to others to consider fostering.

Joan said: “I’d encourage people to consider fostering. It’s worth all the training you have to do, as you don’t truly understand the children coming in care until you do it. Just go for it. You won’t regret it.”

Anyone fostering with Hertfordshire County Council will receive 24/7 support, comprehensive training, and generous pay (increased a few months ago) and allowances.

Cllr Fiona Thomson, Hertfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “It’s truly wonderful that Joan and Reg have given so much of their life to helping so many children.

“We are very grateful to them, as are the many children whose lives they have touched.

“We urgently need more people like Joan and Reg to come forward to be foster carers. As well as helping children in need, they will also see rewards in their own life.”

Anyone interested in fostering should be aged over 21 and have a spare room. Fostering is flexible and there are many different types of fostering.

To find out more visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fostering , text FOSTERING to 62277, email [email protected] or ring 0800 917 0925.