Kim's Story
When experience makes you care
Kim Hatherley knows from experience what it is like to be vulnerable and how much the care of others makes a difference.
What she had been through in her own life made her consider becoming a foster carer.
"I've been in a Women's Aid refuge so I know what it's like to need a safe place to live and get emotionally well.
"I'd always had a hankering to become a foster carer but it wasn't until about two years ago I started the process.
"Since then I've taken care of some wonderful young people. It's mostly teenagers who have become part of my family but I've also stepped in to take care of a few young babies, whose families just need a little bit of time to adjust.
"My grown up daughters are proud of what I do. They say 'mum you're our hero.'
"I'm just so pleased I can actually do something to help.
"I don't consider fostering a job, but it fits perfectly around my lifestyle and it's exceptionally rewarding.
"Sometimes it can be hard but the many heart-warming moments I experience when I see the young people grow and flourish, make it all worthwhile."
