Most people hear the word fostering and picture a child being removed from their family.
That’s not the kind of fostering Rebecca does.
“The idea is to keep them with parents,” she says. “Prevent that transition into care, prevent that breakdown in relationship.”
Her role as a Step-up, Step-down Foster Carer is to work alongside parents when life has become overwhelming, helping them build confidence, routines and support so their children can remain safely at home.
It sounds simple when she says it. In reality, it means stepping into people’s lives at some of their hardest moments.
a life spent helping people
Long before she became a foster carer, Rebecca’s work was all about people.
She worked in adult social care, spent a decade as an occupational therapy assistant and had been supporting customers in a pharmacy since she was 15.
“I’ve always worked with people,” she says.
Over the years, she learned something important: when people are struggling, they don’t need someone perfect. They need someone genuine.
“Most of the time we are seeing people in a crisis situation, when they really need that help, and you really do get the rawness of people.”
Communication, honesty and the ability to listen became the skills she relied on most.
When Rebecca and her husband moved to Wales, they made a decision that would change their lives. After a difficult journey trying to have children of their own, they chose fostering.
“We decided now is the time.”
Like many people starting something new, Rebecca was excited but uncertain. She wanted to help, but she also wondered whether she would be accepted by the families she worked with.
walking into the unknown
The families Rebecca supports are all different, but many share something in common.
Often they are dealing with isolation, pressure and a lack of support. Problems that might feel manageable with help can grow into crises when there is nobody to turn to.
By the time Rebecca first meets them, many have had long involvement with social services. Understandably, some are wary.
“There is a bit of mistrust to begin with,” she says.
Some parents are used to feeling judged or being told what they should do. Rebecca knows that walking through the door, she may simply look like another professional.
“I was worried about what are they going to be like with me? I’m another person sticking my nose in.”
One family in particular made her nervous before they met. They had been through a lot and had lost trust in social services.
But what happened next surprised her.
earning trust one step at a time
There was no dramatic breakthrough. No single conversation that changed everything.
Instead, trust grew slowly.
“Lots of little steps,” Rebecca says.
Sometimes the support was practical. Sometimes it was simply being available.
“Just having someone they could call when they needed help.”
While social workers often carry large caseloads, Rebecca could offer something different: reassurance in the moment. A phone call. A text message. Someone who would listen.
“I think that’s a big difference. They feel that they’ve been heard.”
Over time she saw the change.
At first, conversations were guarded. Answers were short. The atmosphere felt tense.
Then gradually, things softened.
“We’d be sat at the table together having a laugh and a joke.”
The stress that had been visible at the beginning, was “melting away”. Parents became more open about the challenges they were facing and more confident in talking about them.
Rebecca adapted her approach to each family. One parent preferred conversations over coffee or during a walk. Another felt most comfortable talking at the kitchen table. There was no script.
“I just let the conversation flow naturally.”
finding confidence together
Rebecca admits she had her own doubts along the way.
She worried that parents might question her because she did not have children of her own.
“I’ve been really open and honest about that,” she says.
Rather than pretending to know all the answers, she chose honesty.
“I’m not going to come in and tell you how to parent because I haven’t done it.”
That openness helped build trust. It also reflected her wider philosophy.
“You get what you see. I am who I am. I’m not going to be fake.”
For Rebecca, the role is not about arriving as the expert who fixes everything. Often it is about helping parents recognise what they are already doing well.
“Most of the time my support is just validating that it’s really tough and they are doing a good job.”
Many parents, she says, have spent years hearing criticism. Sometimes what they need most is someone noticing their effort and progress.
the moment that mattered
There have been many small successes during Rebecca’s time fostering, but one stands out.
After months of hard work, one child in a family she supported came off the child protection register.
“That’s amazing,” she says. “That’s a huge step forward.”
Even then, Rebecca is careful not to take credit.
“I don’t take all of the credit for that, because it’s their hard work, their dedication.”
The family had done the difficult part. They had stayed engaged, worked through setbacks and kept going when things felt hard.
Rebecca simply walked alongside them.
“It is fully them, I just happened to be the one who gets to enjoy it as well.”
why she continues
Ask Rebecca what she loves most about this kind of fostering and her answer comes quickly.
“I love the fact that you get to work with the parents.”
She believes that when families receive the right support at the right time, outcomes can be very different.
“If I can prevent other children from coming into care – that’s what I like about it.”
What keeps her going is seeing parents grow in confidence, speak up for themselves and believe in their own abilities again.
“You can see the confidence in themselves,” she says. “Be proud of what she’s done and not feel like people are just going to criticise her.”
For someone considering this type of fostering, Rebecca keeps her advice simple.
“Give it a go.”
You do not need to be extraordinary.
“As long as you can talk to people, have fun with the child and be a big kid at heart, it’s a really rewarding role.”
And perhaps that is the heart of Rebecca’s story: ordinary people showing up consistently for other ordinary people. Not solving every problem, not changing everything overnight, but helping families find a way forward, one step at a time.
could you be the next Rebecca?
Rebecca’s story shows what can happen when families are given the right support at the right time.
If you could help a family stay together, find out more about becoming a Step-Up Step-Down foster carer in Powys.
If you live elsewhere in Wales, visit the Foster Wales website where you can find all the information and contact your local authority service.
