Their lives were full and often busy, but care and concern for others sat at the heart of everything they did. They were used to facing challenges together, relying on one another and sharing the weight and joy of family life. 

Looking back now, fostering feels less like a beginning and more like a natural continuation of who they already were. It is their teamwork, the way they stand alongside each other in the hardest moments as well as the good ones, that has seen them through fostering. 

It has allowed them to offer stability, patience and care to the children who come into their home. 

For Colby, the desire to foster had always been there. “I’ve always wanted to look after children,” he says. “I’d seen different upbringings and thought, yeah I want to make a difference.” Beth felt the pull too, but doubt held them back for years.  

The turning point came when Beth finally rang Fostering NEL. But it wasn’t panel approval that made the leap into fostering real.  “It was when we actually got a child,” she beamed. 

That call came suddenly. “Can you pick a child up at four o’clock?” Beth remembers. “I was shaking. I kept thinking, is this actually happening?” They collected their first child from hospital. “Walking out of that room was a real moment to remember,” Beth says softly. “That’s when it hits you; this is real.” 

The first nights passed without sleep. “We were constantly checking,  are they okay?” Colby recalls. Yet, once they were home, something clicked. “It just felt natural,” Beth says. “It’s like when you bring your own baby home … except you’re carrying someone else’s world with you.” 

Fostering, they say, is both “the hardest thing going” yet deeply rewarding. “Nothing else matters,” Colby explains. “As long as that child’s alright.”  

Their experiences looking after children has changed how they see behaviour and pain. “Every bit of behaviour has a reason behind it,” Beth reflects. “You stop seeing things as black and white and you start to see in colour.” 

Some moments still ache. Beth described a transition period that involved some confusion for the child. “My whole world fell apart,” she says. What helped was simple persistence. “I ring everyone,” Beth laughs gently. “I don’t care who, I just make sure I’ve got support.” Both were quick to praise their fostering social worker, who has been a real rock to them. 

Their chosen photo location, Weelsby Woods, reflects that need for calm. “It’s our go‑to,” Colby says. “A place where everything slows down.” 

Looking back on their own childhoods - one marked by constant movement, the other by stability - they firmly believe that anyone can foster. “Life becomes chaotic,” Beth says honestly, “but it’s a rewarding chaos.” 

And that, for them, is the truth of fostering: opening your home, your heart … and standing firm, even when it’s hard.