Tuam foster parents tell of the smiles that mean so much

Tuam foster parents Christy and Brid Corcoran had three babies in nappies at one stage - two of their own and a foster child. They are still taking it in turns to get up during the night to change nappies or feed babies, even though the youngest of their own children is now seven. For them, however, it's all worth it when their foster child smiles back at them.

Brid, who was an adopted child herself, always felt she would like to do something to help other children. The Corcorans, who have three children of their own, aged seven, nine and 12, have been fostering for the past seven years.

Over the years Christy and Brid have cared for children ranging from three days old to teenagers.

Most of the children they care for are pre-adoptive babies who need short-term care before they go to live with their new families. They have been caring for 17-month-old Daniel (not his real name) for more than a year and at this stage he "rules the roost" in the Corcoran household.

The most difficult part of fostering for many is knowing they will have to let the child go some day - whether back to their natural family or on to an adoptive family. Although the Corcorans have learnt to cope with this, the first time they had to say goodbye to a child was a heartbreaking experience for them.

Brid says: "The first time was a very big loss to us. It was like a death and we didn't talk about her at all. We have learnt since that you have to talk about it. Now we take it in our stride."

Most children in foster care do return home and the natural family always has the right to try to get their child back, even if it requires court proceedings.

Brid says: "It's lovely with the pre-adoptive babies to see them leave your home and go to a couple who can't have kids of their own and have dreamed for them and it's also lovely to see them go home to their natural mother or father."

While the Corcorans find fostering a very rewarding experience, they point out that there is a lot of work involved. However, there is good backup support for foster carers. The Corcorans have their own social worker, the child has his and the child's mother has her social worker.

It is obvious that Christy and his wife share a great love of children.

"I would recommend it to everyone; it keeps you feeling young," he jokes.

Brid agrees: "It's rewarding, fulfilling, never boring. You give an awful lot, but when they smile back at you, you know they love you back."

The Western Health Board has established a new regional fostering service based in Tuam to meet the continuing need to recruit foster carers in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

Galway has always been a black spot when it comes to recruiting foster carers, and with people's lives getting busier it is becoming even more difficult to find suitable families willing to take on another child. In recognition of these changes, the Western Health Board has adapted their recruitment criteria accordingly.

Traditionally, the ideal foster parents have been the working father and stay-at-home mother with a relatively young family of their own. However, with more and more couples both out working, the board is now looking towards different types of families and even single people from a variety of income levels as foster carers.