Foster family gave me 'a second chance at life'

An 18-year-old care leaver has said his foster family saved him from a life in prison or suffering with addiction.

Adam Lucas from Stonehouse, near Stroud, entered care at the age of four and battled with anger issues and PTSD before moving in with David and Sabrina Ridout six years ago.

"My foster parents make me feel like I finally belong. They've looked after me better than anyone else and have helped me find my own path," he said.

Over the past five years the number of foster families in Gloucestershire has fallen by 5% – the equivalent of more than 15 households. The county council is looking to recruit new foster families and is offering social support as well as financial incentives.

Lucas moved in to his "forever home" just before lockdown in 2020 through the agency Fosterplus.

At the time he said he was fighting most days at school and had trouble studying.

"If I didn't have them I probably would have gone down a dark path of addiction, maybe fighting more – I had severe anger problems when I was in fights every day," he added.

"It probably would have gone down the lines where I would have been put in prison for punching the wrong person."

The teenager, who is hoping to join the Army, said his foster parents had given him "a second chance at life".

He now calls them his mum and dad.

"It's important to have them because yes, I've been stressful, yes, I've been annoying, yes, I've caused them a lot of work, but they've never once abandoned my side, they've always been there no matter what," he added.

David Ridout said Lucas was "really shy" when he first arrived, but love and stability had allowed him to flourish.

"[At the start] we would suggest doing something and he would say 'I can't'," he added.

"We don't do 'I can't', so on principle we would go and do it – and now he'll have a crack at anything."

Ridout said the pair were proud of Lucas and he, along with their three biological sons, would remain a family forever.

"We are hugely proud of him," he added.

"We didn't have him growing up in the early years, but he's one of us, and that will always be the case even when he's moved on, married and got his own family – he will be one of us."

Gloucestershire, like many councils across England, has experienced a reduction in the number of registered foster families over the past five years.

In 2021 there were 338 households signed up to the service, and latest figures show this has fallen to 320.

While this might not seem like a large decline it means children in care are more likely to be placed in children's homes, rather than a family environment.

So far this year, 67% of children in care have experienced some form of foster care, down 5% from five years ago.

People retiring from fostering, a lack of new families coming forward and cost of living pressures are all contributing factors.

Ben Evans, cabinet member for children's safeguarding and care, said the council is looking for new foster families and that be believed fostering ultimately came down to one thing – love.

"We're looking for people who have got that capacity to really care and love a child in their own home," he added.

"I've worked in this sector for 25 years, and a lot of people work really hard, but I don't think people can give any more than inviting a child in to their own home."

Manager of Fosterplus in Stonehouse, Jenny Huggins, said foster families help provide the care, stability and security many take for granted.

"Foster care provides family, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to lead a happy and normal life for children who have often been through so much," she added.

"Nationally the number of foster parents is declining, but with the right training, support and respect, foster parents feel valued and more likely to stay in their roles making a life-changing difference."

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