Birmingham Couple Who Began Fostering in Their 20s Encourage More Young Adults to Apply

A Birmingham couple who became foster carers while still in their twenties are encouraging more young adults to consider opening their homes to children who need support.

Mobeen and his wife Zara were approved as foster carers in 2020 and have since cared for children and young people from Birmingham and across the wider West Midlands.

The couple first began discussing fostering after getting married, but work and other commitments initially delayed their plans.

Mobeen said: “We had always been thinking about doing something for the community, and we spoke about fostering, but it was always in the background because we were working or something else came up.

“Sometimes you do not realise the need for fostering because there is not a lot of information about it. There are so many children who need a foster home and not enough people applying to become foster carers.”

The birth of their first daughter prompted the couple to take the idea more seriously and consider how they could use their experience as parents to help another child.

Mobeen said: “Looking at her made us think about what we could do as parents to help and provide for a child who was in a difficult situation. That was the big step for us.”

After researching fostering and speaking to agencies, Mobeen and Zara applied through Swiis Foster Care. They said access to training, advice and ongoing support was particularly important because they had no previous experience of fostering.

Since being approved, the couple have cared for young people with a range of backgrounds and needs.

Mobeen said one of their most memorable experiences involved supporting a transgender young person who had struggled to find an appropriate placement.

He said: “For us, we were open to any child. A child does not choose to be in that situation, and they should be given an equal opportunity regardless of what they believe or who they want to be.

“Seeing that transition and knowing we played a part in it makes us proud. It reassures us that we are doing the right thing.”

The couple hope their experience will challenge the perception that fostering is only suitable for older people or those whose own children have grown up.

Mobeen said younger adults may worry about whether they have enough experience, but stressed that foster carers receive training and are supported throughout the process.

He added: “Take the leap and do it. You are not alone, and that is the most important thing.”