‘I fostered a newborn baby at 54!'
Jacqueline Greenough was 54 when she first cradled the newborn in her care – and she was instantly smitten. ‘
She was around 5lbs when she came out of hospital, just a teeny weeny little thing,’
The baby girl wasn’t her grandchild - but a foster child. For at an age when many mums are becoming empty nesters, Jacqueline was taking on a newborn baby again.
‘Suddenly you’re responsible for this tiny little, delicate person. The hardest part was the sleep, getting up to do night feeds again! But it was absolutely wonderful, it was like getting back on a bike. I thought, “This is nice. I remember these days!”’
When she turns 18, I’ll be 72! But I don’t regret a single second. She’s given us so much joy, you can’t even put it into words.’
Jacqueline, 58, and her husband John, 59, first became foster carers in 2017, when she was 49. Both were secondary school teachers and initially fostered teenagers, going on to care for around 25 young people aged 14 to 19 on both a short and long-term basis.
‘I was used to teaching foster children who were in care. I’d be delivering GCSE maths and science, but I was always more interested in the whole picture – the young person who turned up on a Monday morning after an awful weekend. I was so much more interested in building relationships and giving a young person the best home life that I can.'
According to Ofsted’s most recent data, there are 56,345 approved mainstream foster carers in England. Around 37 per cent of these are in their 50s, while one third are aged 60 or over.
Jacqueline believes fostering is a natural fit for older people. ‘I actually think that’s a good time to try something new. You’re definitely not on the shelf yet!’ she insists.
Sarah Thomas, CEO of leading charity, The Fostering Network, agrees. She adds:
‘Older foster carers bring a unique set of strengths, often rooted in experience, stability, and patience.’
For Jacqueline, neither has fostering meant giving up the things she loves – especially the couple’s passion for running. In March 2023 she and John began using the Parkrun initiative to raise awareness.
We printed these bright pink tops that say ‘Fostering’ on the front’ and ‘Ask me how’ on the back, then set ourselves the challenge of completing all 19 Parkruns in Gloucestershire – taking turns to push the little one in the buggy.’
The family has now completed over 250 Parkruns, seeking them out whenever they go on holiday too – including in Liverpool and Dundee – and plan to do many more in the future.
And that little baby they met at just five days old? She’s now four and a half. Jacqueline who fosters for Gloucestershire County Council, says, ‘
She sits in the buggy waving at everybody as we run along. She even claps the other runners and says, “Well done, well done!” and she tells John to “Keep going!”
‘She's now been placed with us long term and I’m making a memory box for her with lots of photos, so she’ll always remember the fun we had doing this.’
The runs still continue every Saturday and the couple have plans to take them UK-wide.
Another special memory stands out – finishing a Parkrun alongside another foster daughter Leigh, 18, who has lived with Jacqueline and John for the last five years and remains with them on a long term basis.
‘Crossing the finishing line alongside Leigh felt wonderful,’ says Jacqueline. ‘Just getting a teenager up at 7.30am on a Saturday to run 5K is an achievement! But when I think about how far Leigh has come from running away as a youngster to the stable, polite, well-mannered person she is today. You just think ‘wow!’
However she does admit that when her young charges eventually fly the nest, it can be emotional. ‘
It’s strange, I won’t lie – you get very emotionally attached to them,’ she says. But the bonds don’t disappear. ‘I’ve got one girl who was with me a long time and is now a mum of two herself. We message all the time. It’s so sweet and I love when she asks me for baby advice.’
‘There are huge rewards, and huge satisfaction. You just get this feeling that you’ve achieved something pretty darn good in life.’
To learn more about what fostering involves speak to the team on 01242 532654 or text FOSTER to 60060