The full-time teacher said: “I’d been talking with my dad and step‑mum, Anne, about their fostering journey,” she remembers. “My foster sister was about to turn 18, and something settled in me. I had the space, the capacity… so I thought, maybe the time is now.” 

When a roadside fostering banner caught her eye, the thought became real. Within hours she’d filled in the online enquiry form. 

Day one of her fostering journey is etched in her memory. What was meant to be a short introductory meeting became a burst of energy at her front door. “They tumbled into my house bringing life and chaos,” she laughs. “As someone without children of my own, I was surprised by how quickly it felt natural.” She admits she made mistakes - “of course I did” - but says her learning has always been wrapped in “laughter, support and shared growth.” 

For Helen, fostering is far bigger than offering safety and stability. “It’s about supporting a child’s whole network - especially their primary caregivers,” she says. “When a child has more than one trusted adult cheering them on, it builds a sense of belonging.” Her role, she insists, feels like being extended family. “It’s not just one weekend a month. It’s getting a photo because they’re proud of their new yellow belt in karate.” 

Some moments have been tough. As a single carer with a very busy life, there’s no-one to tag in when emotions run high. “I’ve learned to pause, breathe, and apologise when my humanity shows,” she says softly. The best advice she ever received? “Be kind to yourself. It makes it easier to be kind to others - and it teaches children something powerful about resilience.” 

Helen chose Cleethorpes Library for her photograph because books have always been her safe place. As an English teacher, she says sharing stories with the children she cares for brings her pure joy. “Libraries offer freedom - pirates, dragons, outer space - and the chance for a child to choose their own adventure.” 

She grew up in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, raised by parents with a strong sense of justice and community. Their influence, alongside careers in residential childcare, youth work, housing and teaching, shaped her path long before she realised it. “Fostering entered our family through my dad and Anne,” she reflects. “I didn’t know it then, but it was subtly setting me on the way to my own fostering story.”