A Richmond-based fosterer has shared her experience of changing children’s lives.

Vilma Watt, who already had her own children, has been fostering in Richmond for 14 years.

“It was not a walk in the park, it was a sharp learning curve – a baptism of fire,” she said.

“Lots of the children that come the system have not had a very good experience of parenting; definitely the children are experiencing a huge trauma or overhaul.”

The hard-working mum thought the flexibility of fostering, now marketed as a career choice, could “redress a bit of the home-life balance”.

She said: “Before I had been a foster carer I was a barrister; I had a young family and didn’t feel like I was spending enough time with them.”

Her own children were mostly on-board, but found it difficult later saying goodbye to the babies that came into the family’s care.

There was one baby the family simply fell in love with and “couldn’t let go”.

“She came to me at six months old, and we adopted her at two years old,” said Vilma.

“There’s so many different bits of fostering, from having new-born babies to teenagers.

“I think probably the most rewarding thing is seeing the children thriving, which they deserve as children… being able to expect a birthday present and know that someone is actually there for them, supporting, them caring for them.”

Vilma would encourage anyone with an interest in fostering to find out more.

“It’s not all or nothing. They can make contact with people already fostering and see what their family life is like.

“It takes all sorts of people – even single people – sometimes children need to be placed somewhere where they are the only child.”

Many of the children Vilma welcomed into her home have stayed in touch – and now are grown-up and happily settled with their own families.