Young people transform Haverfordwest underpass with vibrant mural

Pembrokeshire Herald

13-05-2025

JYLE was just seven years old when, during the summer holidays, he stayed with his foster carer Gavin for the first time.
In unfamiliar surroundings, he was unable to sleep one night so at about 3am Gavin put a children's film on for them to watch together, patiently keeping him company through a night of anxiety and worry.
Although he only stayed with Gavin for a few nights on that occasion, that simple act of kindness and compassion stayed with Kyle.
Ten years later, when Kyle's circumstances changed, Gavin became his foster carer again with this short-term stay quickly becoming permanent.
Now aged 22, Kyle says he considers Gavin to be his dad and has thrived as part of an extended found family of foster 'brothers and sisters'.
'When they go into this scenario, young people will be scared and will just think it's over for them, like I definitely did,' Kyle said. 'I felt like there was no support, but there was.
'I don't call him dad, but whenever I talk about him I'm just like, yeah, he's my dad. He's there for any support, emotional, financial, just anything.'
This Foster Care Fortnight, taking place between May 12 and May 25, 2025, the fostering community in the UK is celebrating the power of relationships. In Wales, there are more than 7,000 children in care, with around half as many foster families. Foster Wales is appealing to recruit an additional 800 local authority foster carers by 2028 to address this need.
Kyle said Gavin helped him greatly by listening, giving him options rather than dictating his choices, and providing consistency that continued into adulthood.
With Gavin's assistance finding the right support for his exams, Kyle left college with a double merit in media studies and went on to begin studying at the University of Salford. But after eight months, like many young people, it became clear to Kyle that the course wasn't the right choice for him.
'I was worried that once I go off to uni, then when I come back I'll have to move out and get a place,' Kyle said. 'But Gav instantly welcomed me back in and he was like, yeah, you can stay here until you're ready to move on. It's fine.'
Kyle said the continuity of a safe home allowed him to find his feet again. He now lives independently and has been successful in finding full time work on the IT service desk at the council. Gavin, and the family of what he calls foster 'brothers and sisters', are still an active part of his life. They live close together, and Kyle regularly visits and is always on hand to help with technical support for younger children's gaming needs.
'I'm so impressed with Kyle and where he's at given his start in life,' Gavin said.
'The positive changes he's made has put him where he is really. It's the greatest satisfaction of fostering. When it works and they have the sort of life you'd want for yourself and they're on that path. I don't think it could be beaten.
'Some people think when you go into fostering you can solve everything. But it's very much a journey. You need to establish that relationship, that trust, and be that person in their lives that is reliable, does what they say, and that they know they can come back to.'
Alastair Cope, head of Foster Wales, said: 'Foster Care Fortnight always offers a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the people who create lasting change in the lives of so many children in Wales.
'Every fostering journey relies on strong, trusting relationships to create the stability within a loving home that all children deserve. Whether between a foster carer and a child, a child with their foster siblings, or between a family and their social worker, these relationships open up new possibilities for a child's future and help support them into successful independent lives.'
To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Wales visit fosterwales.gov.wales