Thirty years ago, Shahida visited a friend in London who was a foster carer.

After listening to her friend talk about the lack of Asian foster carers across the country, Shahida returned home and, together with her husband, she started the enrolment process with Bolton Council’s dedicated fostering team.

The couple had three children of their own and have welcomed dozens of children and young people into their family over the past three decades.

Shahida said: “My friend was telling me how there weren’t many Asian carers to look after Muslim children and I knew it was something I wanted to do.

“There have been some children who have come for one or two nights as emergency care and then others who have come on a more long-term basis.

“Even the children who have come to us for short-term care have stayed for a long time, while social workers have arranged for them to return to their birth parents or be placed with adoptive parents.”

Shahida has welcomed babies and children of all ages into her home and tries, where possible, to keep sibling groups together, as she knows this will benefit the children.

She said: “Whoever comes to stay with us is welcomed and is immediately part of the family.

“My extended family always treat the children as if they were their own and we all enjoy spending time together.

“As a foster carer, I have a duty to accept children into my family and give them the care that they need.

“A good start in life is crucial and knowing they have a good home to return to every day makes them feel loved.

“It’s very rewarding to see children happy and while it’s not easy seeing them leave and move on with their lives, I know that they have been given the best possible start while they were with me.”

Shahida is one of Bolton fostering team’s buddies, which involves helping Asian carers, offering help and advice whenever they need it.

She said: “We attend training and courses together and it’s especially useful for those foster parents who don’t speak English very well.

“It’s a close-knit group and we all support each other.

“There’s always someone that can help if you have a question or a concern.”

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer, let the team support you.

For more information visit www.bolton.gov.uk/fostering, email fostering@bolton.gov.uk or call 0800 107 1564.

Making a world of difference

Ilyas and his wife have been fostering for five years making “a world of difference” to young people’s lives.

Ilyas, who is 54 and a member of a support group for Asian carers, said: “We have four children of our own who have all flown the nest and now have three children with us on long-term placements.

“The support from our supervising social worker is fantastic and the training we receive is fundamental.

“Even though I’ve had children of my own, the guidance we’ve had through the training is irreplaceable.”

He added: “Children need guidance and when they come into your home they need to feel like they are wanted.

“It’s about making each child comfortable in your home and that is often the first hurdle.

“Fostering makes life unbelievable and has made a world of difference to our lives as well as theirs.”

To hear more from Ilyas and other foster carers about why they foster, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg-8a2ySFfo