When Dina and Johnny first considered fostering, they imagined welcoming a child younger than their daughter. But after hearing from other carers during their training, they realised teenagers were often overlooked—and that’s where they could make the biggest difference.
A personal journey to fostering
Dina’s own childhood was difficult. Leaving home at 16, she found support from people outside her family who helped her learn to like herself and build a better life. That experience planted the seed for fostering. “It doesn’t have to be family that does that for you,” she says. “I always wanted to pass that on.”
After raising her daughter and caring for Johnny’s mum during her dementia diagnosis, the couple found themselves with a spare room and a desire to help young people. Dina had been childminding and loved the energy of dinner table conversations. Fostering felt like a natural next step.
Why teenagers?
Teenagers weren’t their original plan, but the more they learned, the more it made sense. “We couldn’t understand why more people didn’t want to foster teens,” Johnny says. “We’ve got a lot of life experience, and we felt we could relate better to them—and they to us.”
There were practical reasons too. “I couldn’t face going back to early mornings with younger kids,” Dina laughs. “Teenagers sleep better!”
Their first young person arrived as an emergency, and despite the challenges, she’s still with them nearly 18 months later. Their daughter and foster daughter bonded quickly, giggling endlessly while maintaining their own lives. A second teenager, who initially came for stay-over care, fit in so well the girls asked if she could stay.
Life at home
With two 16-year-olds and their daughter, now 12, the house is lively. Dina and Johnny work from home and split the morning school runs. “There’s no typical day,” Johnny says. “But we’ve got a rota and a calendar. Dina’s a brilliant administrator.”
They make time for family nights, board games, and movie evenings. Johnny jokes that if he won the lottery, he’d buy a big house and fill it with kids. “It’s satisfying just providing the basics—things they’ve never had before.”
Challenges and growth
Fostering hasn’t been without its hurdles. From navigating paperwork and bureaucratic procedures supporting their foster daughter through difficult family relationships, Dina and Johnny have learned to help teens protect themselves emotionally. “Life doesn’t suddenly become perfect,” Dina says. “But we can teach them how to manage it.”
They’ve helped their foster daughter understand her diabetes, supported her through school and college transitions, and taught her life skills like laundry and budgeting. “She’d been looking after her siblings. She needed to learn to be a teenager again.”
Changing perceptions
Dina and Johnny are passionate about changing how people see teenagers in care. “They get such a bad press,” Johnny says. “People think they’re all out of control, but they’re just young people waiting to blossom.”
Many have survived more than most adults can imagine. “They’re not all badly behaved,” Dina adds. “They’ve just been trying to survive. They want peace and quiet. They want to feel safe.”
Why they recommend it
For Dina and Johnny, fostering teenagers has been life-changing. “We didn’t know we’d like it this much,” Dina admits. “It’s morally rewarding. You just need to care.”
They believe more people could foster if they realised how much they already have to offer. “You don’t need loads of training. You just need to care.”
Their advice? “Treat them with respect. Talk to them like young adults. Help them prepare for life beyond 18. That’s our role.”
Could you foster a teen?
If Dina and Johnny’s story has inspired you and you feel you could foster a young person, fill in our contact form and we’ll be in touch. You can also come along to one of our information evenings to find out more about fostering with us.
