大象传媒

What do Eddie Murphy, Marilyn Monroe and Cher all have in common? Yes, they're all very famous, but all three were also foster children.

For many reasons parents are sometimes unable to look after their children who are then taken into foster care.

The children can then be taken back to their families at a suitable time or alternatively put up for adoption.

Kath Buckley and her husband George from Consett have been foster carers for more than 35 years and have cared for over 100 children.

They have also recently received an award to recognise and celebrate their incredible achievement and dedication.

The couple have cared for more than 100 children.

"Difficult to part with any child"

A pure love of children got Kath and George interested in foster caring when one of their own two children (who are now carers themselves) started going to school.

The couple work with the social services to look after the children that need care which means the youngsters can come from any type of background.

This can be very challenging for Kath and George but Kath explains giving them up is always an emotional moment: "It's difficult to part with any child and I always shed tears with any child but the time you don't, is the time you give up.

"We know they may not be with us forever but we give them what we can while they're here. Sometimes it's the first type of normal family life they've had."

Uncle George

"You can't do it without forming an emotional bond," said Kath and when it comes to the time of giving the children up they are more than happy to keep in touch.

Kath said: "The reward we get is that a lot of our children come back and see us and sometimes stay with us. Some of them call us grandma and granddad but the door is always open.

"We had a little girl who was a baby but [when she was getting married] she asked George to give her away and it was a very emotional day.

George and Kath Buckley with their award

"I remember her saying 'Uncle George will you give me away, you're the only father figure I've known' and he was chuffed to bits!"

Qualities

Recruitment is becoming more of an issue in foster care and there is always a need for more people to get in touch and to get involved.

Kath often speaks at preparation groups to share her experiences and her inspirational stories with potential carers.

So what qualities are needed for such a challenging job? Kath explained: "Lots of patience, you can't be judgemental, tolerance of how other people think and definitely a sense of humour.

"I try to imagine being a child in their position and think about how I would feel myself.

"If I can give them a happy time, whether it be three weeks or three years with us, and we can give them a comfortable feeling in that time, it's a memory for them if nothing else."

People interested in finding out more should contact 0191 370 6149 or follow the links in the top right corner of the page.