The moment you meet foster carer Lesley and her former foster child Polly you are struck by their closeness and the undeniable bond between them.
Lesley, 57, from Mansfield, has fostered with Nottinghamshire County Council for 24 years. Until eight years ago she was a single foster carer of mainly teenagers, but now fosters with her husband Keith.
Lesley and Keith currently have a staying put placement, a young person over the age of 18 who is remaining with the couple beyond his ‘foster placement’, and a 17 year old boy.

“I never had any children of my own and I must admit fostering at first seemed like an alien experience, but I quickly grew to love it,” says Lesley.
“I wanted to bring children into my home and make sure they felt like part of the family, not just visitors.”

Polly, now 33, remembers vividly her first visit to Lesley’s home. “She made me feel so at ease and welcome, and asked me very quickly how I’d like my bedroom doing up before my next visit,” said Polly, who now lives with her partner, her partner’s daughter and her own two daughters in Hucknall.
“Lesley and I went shopping for bedding and other bits for my room and we clicked straightaway. I felt comfortable and a sense of belonging from day one.”

Lesley openly admits that she sees Polly as the daughter she never had.
“We just slotted into each other lives and we have been there for each other at important times,” Lesley said. “Polly played a huge part in the preparations in the run-up to my wedding eight years ago and I have some lovely memories of us going to look at wedding dresses together.”
Polly also holds precious memories of Lesley helping her move into her first flat when she moved out aged 19. During the years she fostered Polly, Lesley maintained good relations with Polly’s birth mum and dad.
Lesley explained: “I was Polly’s foster carer and she lived with me but it was important in my eyes that she knew where she came from and had a sense of family and belonging. That sense of belonging is important for any child and we maintained that throughout Polly’s stay with us.”

Lesley has fostered more than 50 young people over the years and tries to keep in regular touch with all of them. “They need to know that the support is still available even though they have moved on with their lives. I want them to feel they can still come to me with their good news or a problem and I’ll be there for them.” Lesley is supporting the County Council’s New Year fostering campaign This year, be the difference in a child’s life and urges anyone who has been thinking about fostering to take a closer look.

“It really is a fantastically rewarding role, I feel I’ve made a difference to so many young people’s lives and that gives me a real sense of achievement.”