Kinship carer's Paul & Gabby
How it began
Paul recalls how their connection with Annie’s mum began through church: “About three and a half years ago, a lady came into the church who my wife and I befriended quite quickly. Not long after, she became pregnant. Although she didn’t come as often after her baby girl, Annie, was born, she wanted to have her christening at our church. We were very honoured when she asked us to be the baby’s godparents.”
In April 2024, Paul and Gabby received a call from social services. Annie’s mum was struggling and needed urgent support. “They asked if we could care for Annie for a weekend, and we were happy to step up. It became obvious quite quickly that her mum wasn’t able to have her back. Then, in January this year, very sadly, her mum passed away. We now have a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) for Annie.”
A promise kept
Life changed overnight for the Kerry family, but their commitment never faltered.
“We had thought about fostering in the past, and as godparents we had made a promise to care for Annie – a promise we take very seriously.
“Annie has been a joy to welcome into our family. She is such a happy, lovely little girl. She goes to nursery, and once a week she sees her dad. She also sees her mum’s family, who drive up from London to visit regularly.”
Because Annie already knew the family, the transition was easier for her.
Paul reflects on the positive impact it’s had on his children: “It made a huge difference that she was already comfortable with us, including our children, who have been amazing with her. We’ve seen sides of them we hadn’t seen before, especially in their care and love for Annie. In fact, our 13-year-old daughter now wants to go into early years care because of the nurturing role she has taken on.”
Support through the process
Paul and Gabby felt well supported throughout the SGO process.
“It felt like we were on a journey with our social worker, whose affirmation gave us real confidence. Life became busier with many meetings, but we reminded ourselves why we were doing this – our commitment to Annie. We were nervous about having our parenting style under the spotlight, but we found our social worker respected what we had to offer and that was very reassuring as parents.”
Paul now attends a local kinship support group, which he finds invaluable.
“This was a complete unknown to us, so having other people to talk to really helps. The group is great for advice and signposting to support. We even have a WhatsApp group where you can ask questions at any time.”
Looking back – and forward
Paul reflects on the journey with gratitude:
“Annie has brought great joy and a lot of love to our family. The process affirmed that we can do this – that we can help Sidney and thrive together as a family.”
*Not her real name