I am so thrilled. My eldest daughter still lives in the area where my family all grew up, and she still has the same surname (which is an unusual one)
Some months back she was contacted by a man who told her that his (adoptive) parents had recently died, and going through their papers he had discovered that we were the family that had fostered him as a newborn for ten weeks before he went to those parents. This was in 1980.
He managed to track her down via facebook (so that really does have some good uses). As our family are all meeting at her house in a few weeks time for a birthday celebration, he has arranged to come over to meet up with us all. I am so excited. Evidently his partner is expecting a baby later in the summer, so I am now knitting some baby things for them.
What a wonderful heartwarming story. Hope everything goes well.
lovely story - and nice for you to meet again in better circumstances. I hope he had a happy life. Foster carers do such a good job. I expect he is trying to get as much information about his early life as he can. I don't know if you met his birth mother - foster carers sometimes do. Have a happy reunion.
What a nice thing to happen. It brings the tears ot my eyes. Have a great time when you all meet up.
You must have done a very good job fostering all those years ago. Well done!
Thank you for sharing your story Franbern, and my condolences on the loss of your son, but what love and support he must have had. What a wonderful start in life you gave to so many, and such a great example to your children too. I’m humbled.
No photos. I rarely photographed these babies, they came and they went. Remember it was more difficult back then to photograph everything. I really enjoyed my years fostering. Started off with just pre-adoption babies, but then became children under five years of age. One came to me at the age of eleven months for 'intermediate fostering (which meant upto a year). He stayed for the rest of his life, became our youngest child - did brilliantly. Sadly died in an accident at the age of 25 twenty years ago leaving a hole in our family and still so missed.
Indeed, again my eldest daughter has recently been contacted by a couple of his workmates asking if our family would be willing to join them and others in a twenty year memorial for him later in the Spring.
I have some wonderful memories and stories of those days back in the 70's and 80's, when fostering was still, largely, carried out for love (we received expenses, but no actual payments). Think it did my own children a lot of good also, one thing was they really understood what having a baby/meant in terms of time and responsibility. My four daughters all delayed starting their own families until late twenties/early thirties, ensuring their own careers were well underway and they really knew what they were taking on.
I really did love having a baby around - even the night time feeds were good, often the only time I got to myself in every 24 hours.
Such fun getting back to knitting baby clothes!!! I am pretty sure that my g.children will follow the family pattern of having their children quite late, so I am unlikely to see any great g.kids.
Such a lovely story, hope you have a wonderful celebration! I wonder if you have any photos of yourself with him as a newborn baby...
That is such a lovely story. Do let us know what happens next.
Franbern sending you good wishes for a wonderful reunion.
Wonderful Franbern utterly wonderful for you and your family.
Franbern, what wonderful news and how wonderful that you took on the role of foster parents all those years ago.
FB is truly a great way to get in touch with loved ones , family and friends. Enjoy the meeting and the birthday celebration .
It's good to hear your happy news Franbern.
Thanks for sharing this happy news. It’s cheered many of us
There’s something so special about getting in touch with roots. I hope it all goes well
How nice for your family to have a reunion with a foster child. You will have to let us know how it goes.
My family fostered children for a few years in the late 70's. We accepted them as siblings for the short time they were with us. It would be nice to hear of a happy ending for some of these children, but our placements were mostly short for a few months while their family situation improved.
This is such a lovely story so thank you for sharing it on here.
I bet it was a wrench to give him up after caring for him for ten weeks even though you knew that’s what would happen.
Very best wishes for the reunion!!
I bet it will be quite emotional.
Aww. I hope it is a wonderful occasion, franbern.
Bought tears to my eyes, thanks to selfless people like you these little ones have love to start their journey through life, nothing is more important than that, to know he is happy and he must have had a good home must make your heart sing.
Flora, how awful for that little boy you had and turned out to be so wretched, things could have been so different, life can be very hard for some children, a bad de is ion made can destroy a life.
? to both if you for what you did.
How lovely 
That is lovely.
I just had an after thought Franbern did people used to say to you things like " Oh I would be too upset when I had to give these babies backs I am too soft hearted " did they think we were heartless ? I cried many a tear as I peeled the potatoes for tea when a baby had gone as I am sure you did but when I was told that if I did not take them they would go to the children's home that decided me .
What a lovely story Franbern and how kind of you to share it. Your foster son must have mixed emotions having lost his adoptive parents and expecting his first child, please update us when you all meet up!
I am so pleased for you . Over 50 years ago I used to foster babies who were to be adopted . I got them at 7 days old and would love to know what became of them . My daughter , when small and annoyed with me , would say she was going back to her own mummy . I had to explain she was stuck with us . My husband did unpaid work for the Social work department driving kids to school , visit relatives etc. and we got very fond of some of these children . We saw a lot of one little boy and knew his family as they lived in the same town as we did . DH took him and his mum to prison often to visit his dad and we always hoped that this boy would have a better life than his parents. Sadly we saw a report in the local paper about him , a prisoner , pouring boiling water on another inmate and he got years added to his sentence . He always said he wanted to be part of our family which was really sad.
How wonderful, you must be very excited.. Much admiration for people who foster children.
That is lovely to hear - and well done you for your invaluable fostering role.
It would be lovely if you had some photos of his time with you that you could get copies made of otherwise a nice photo of you all would be a lovely gift. Perhaps you have some memories of his time with you than you can write down also.I always think children who are adopted want someone to give them memories that they would normally have been given by parents. Especially as he is having a baby himself soon. He might like to hear that he didn't settle well after a feed or he was a good sleeper etc
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