Cannock foster mother has 'no regrets' after changing career
A former children's service manager left her full-time sports club job to become a foster mother instead.
Hannah Hetherington, of Cannock, decided to make the switch from running a creche at a golf club when the option to make a career change came up.
Now she is urging others to consider fostering after the coronavirus pandemic resulted in many employees seeking new challenges.
The 41-year-old first considered fostering when her hours were cut at the creche and she took up extra duties that required longer and more demanding shifts. After talking to friends who were foster parents she decided to pursue it.
She and partner Dave Winfindale completed a training course in February 2020 ahead of the the first lockdown and were approved to foster two months later with social enterprise agency Five Rivers Child Care.
Since then they have been looking after a young girl on a short-term arrangement which has been going well.
Ms Hetherington said: “I had been working at the creche for over 10 years and as much as I enjoyed it, fostering was always something we had wanted to do.
"My hours were being reduced and I was having to take on late-night and early morning shifts around the club. It was starting to feel hard.
"I have always wanted to help children hence my job at the creche, but I felt that fostering was my opportunity to give a loving home to children who haven’t had the best start in life, so we just went for it.
“We don’t have children of our own, but we knew that as soon as we started fostering we’d treat that child as we would have our own.
"I wanted to help those children that don’t have the simple necessity of a loving and stable family, and to let them know that someone is in their corner.”
She and Mr Winfindale, a petrol station assistant, take her along to their favourite activities, such as watching football team Hednesford Town FC. She also praised The Five Rivers staff for supporting them.
Five Rivers Child Care fostering team manager Shingirai Chigwedere said: “Although being a foster carer expands beyond a traditional nine to five job making a positive impact to a child’s life can be extremely rewarding."
More details about the agency is available by phoning 01527 810314.
