With her own children grown and leaving home, she found herself returning to memories of her mother‑in‑law who fostered. “I always thought, what a wonderful thing to do for these children,” she said. “It stayed with me for years.” 

When Debbie began offering short‑stay support – where children need a safe, caring home while plans are made for what comes next  – she didn’t expect one weekend arrangement to change everything. A boy who visited regularly went missing - and instinctively, he came straight to her door. “He wanted to be here,” she said. “I just thought, this boy needs me. That was the moment I knew I had to commit.” 

She still remembers his first proper day with her family. “It was like a big joyous event,” she laughs. Her parents were there, the kitchen was busy with baking, and they ended the day walking the dogs by the water. “He just fitted in straight away… he was lovely.” Nineteen years later, that boy is now a thriving thirty-year-old. 

Debbie says fostering is far more than just a role. “It becomes your life. It’s a vocation,” she says. “These children need you 24/7 - you can’t just dip your toe in.” 

Fostering has very much reshaped her understanding of the world. “I was brought up in a warm, loving family. I just never knew how bad it was for some children,” she says. That contrast fuels her determination to give every child the safety, stability and closeness she once took for granted. 

Her journey is full of moments she cherishes: Mother’s Day cards saying, I’m proud to call you my mum. Being asked to be a godmother to a child she helped give a strong start. Standing at a passing‑out parade as a Sergeant Major told her, “You’ve done a lovely job.” 

Of course, there have been difficult days, too. “These children carry trauma. You just have to remember - it’s not you. It’s what they have experienced.” 

Debbie’s garden has become the setting for many of the most meaningful moments: children playing, adopters meeting their child for the first time - often through tears. “It’s always been a safe place,” she said, which is why she chose it for her photograph. 

And it’s that same sense of safety and belonging Debbie hopes every child will take with them - “the warmth of a big, close family”.