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For years, Kate and Mark had quietly carried the thought of fostering in their hearts. Their own children were growing up, now aged 18 and 22, and the house felt quieter than it once had. The dream of having a big family had never left them, and deep down they knew they still had more to give. After watching a programme about fostering one evening, their conversations turned into action. They remembered meeting the fostering team at Morrisons the year before and decided to go along to an online information event. It was, as Kate puts it: “Just the right time.”

Then came the moment that changed everything. They saw the details of two young brothers in need of a family. At first, they hesitated. The boys had additional needs, and Kate and Mark worried about whether they could manage. But the thought of the boys without a family kept returning to them, day after day. “We just couldn’t stop thinking about them,” Mark recalls. “Something inside told us we had to at least try.”

The process was long, but they pressed on, supported every step of the way by their social worker and the wider fostering team. Just before Christmas 2024, they were finally approved and everything started to feel real.

Meeting the boys for the first time, at Normanby Hall, is a memory they will never forget. “It was ace,” Kate smiles. “Suddenly we were meeting them; these little people we’d been dreaming about. It was so exciting.”

The weeks that followed weren’t without challenges. The boys struggled at times, their routines unsettled and their anxiety spilling over. Kate and Mark never once questioned their decision. They knew the boys’ behaviour came from their experiences, and they were determined to be the steady, patient presence the children needed.

The introductions were carefully planned, gradually moving from short visits to days spent together. Kate came up with creative ways to ease the transition: a family book filled with photos, framed pictures for the boys to keep with their previous carers, even little bags of fur from the family dogs to comfort them. “It was all about giving them something familiar, something safe,” she explained.

By 14 February 2025 – Valentine’s Day – the boys officially moved in. “It felt symbolic,” Mark said: “A day about love, and here we were welcoming them home.”

Life has been a whirlwind since. The boys’ school routine has become a source of comfort and consistency; with teachers who Kate and Mark describe as “amazing – like a big family.” At home, the dogs have been a gentle, calming presence, inseparable from the children. The couple have learned to embrace a new normal: firm routines, sensory play, boundaries, and endless patience.

The progress the boys have made has been astonishing. When they first came into care, neither could walk. Now, they run, climb, swim, and beam with pride as they put their Crocs on the right feet. One loves lining up cars; the other drums joyfully on tins in the shed. Both are flourishing in ways no one could have imagined.

There are tough days, of course. Times when behaviour is challenging, when words don’t come easily, or when everyone feels stretched thin. But as Kate says: “That’s just part of being their mum… adapting, learning, sticking to routines, and loving them through it all.”

Through laughter, tears, and countless small victories, one thing has become clear: fostering these two boys was exactly what they were meant to do. “Regardless of any challenges, we’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Kate says firmly. “As parents, we have endless pots of love, time, and patience.”

Their advice to anyone considering fostering? “Just do it. Don’t let the long process put you off. It’s worth it a thousand times over. We don’t regret a single thing.”

Cllr Julie Reed, cabinet member for children, families and communities urges more people to embark on their fostering journey like Kate and Mark: “This personal story shows how a foster family can make an incredible life changing difference to two young people for the rest of their lives.  It also shows that whilst at times challenging, foster carers feel personally rewarded by this experience and they make real connections to children they foster, and many keep in touch for the rest of their lives.

“If you feel you could make a difference and offer this to a child or young person, please get in touch with the friendly fostering team today and start your fostering journey in 2026”.

Find out more about fostering in North Lincolnshire on our website, by emailing fostering@northlincs.gov.uk , attending the online information evening or calling 01724 297024.

The post “Endless Pots of Love” – Kate and Mark’s Fostering Story. appeared first on North Lincolnshire Council.

Following the announcement that the Government will not intervene in NHS plans to strip services from Scunthorpe hospital, North Lincolnshire Council has launched a six-week public survey to give residents a strong voice in shaping the future of this critical part of the local healthcare system.

The feedback will help the council build a clear case to lobby for extra investment and help secure the improvements our hospital needs.

Residents are urged to use the consultation as their chance to influence priorities and make sure our community gets the best possible healthcare for years to come.

While refusing to stop the changes, the health minister did say that the hospital will remain a “key part of the local health system”, and that further investment will come.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “As someone who was born in Scunthorpe General Hospital, I, like many residents care about local health services provided there, and I want to make sure that their voices are heard.

“This survey is about listening, understanding what residents value most, where they think investment should be focused, and how we can build a plan that cannot be ignored.”

Under the previous government, a new A&E was built for £17.3m and a community diagnostics centre (CDC) in the town centre for £19.4m.

The new A&E doubled the size of the previous department and the CDC provides a range tests, checks and scans such as CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound and blood tests, with almost 150,000 appointments available every year, close to the town centre and next to the multistorey car park where visitors can park for free for up to two hours.

Cllr Waltham added: “We know investment has already been made, and we’ve been told that Scunthorpe will not be forgotten. This is an opportunity to make sure future decisions are informed directly by the people who rely on these services every day. We intend to use your feedback to make sure that decision-makers in London step up and hear our views, then we can negotiate for more services and investment in our hospital.”

The survey will run for six weeks and will ask residents about their experiences, priorities and ideas for strengthening local healthcare. The results will be analysed and presented in a report to the North Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board, chaired by Cllr Waltham, to help inform future discussions with NHS partners.

The survey will be available online and through alternative formats to ensure as many residents as possible can take part.

More information, including how to complete the survey, is available at www.northlincs.gov.uk/current-consultations.

The post Have your say: Residents asked to help shape future investments in Scunthorpe hospital appeared first on North Lincolnshire Council.