'We've looked after 31 children in eight years'

A foster carer who has provided homes to 31 children over the past eight years, wants more people to consider opening their homes.

Mikaela Le Vesconte said for prospective foster carers "as long as you've got room in your home and room in your heart, you're going to be brilliant at it".

She spoke to the BBC as part of the Foster Care Fortnight awareness campaign.

Constable Richard Vibert, the Minister for Children and Families, said he was looking for 'another 12' foster carers to make up a current shortage on the island.

Ms Les Vesconte said: "It's been a fairly busy household, hectic at times, but really good, really fulfilling, thoroughly enjoyable.

"We've looked after children from one day old to 17 years old and various ages in between."

She said: "We're at the point where we've been fostering so long, and we've had so many children come through that I can't imagine not fostering.

"We love a busy household, and we just have the feeling that the more children that we can help, the better that the family unit runs. We really enjoy what we do."

Ms Les Vesconte said: "We have an open door policy, and we still have people who rock up on a Sunday afternoon for a Sunday roast."

She said: "It's difficult to say goodbye, but you know that you've given that child the best preparation you can give them for moving on with their life, that's the thing that keeps you going and helps you move on to the next child that comes through."

As part of Foster Care Fortnight, the Government of Jersey has been holding a series of pop-ups to encourage people to sign-up.

Vibert said there's currently a shortage in foster carers in the island: "We need another twelve. We have four currently going through training and so we probably need another eight more.

"We have children in care homes at the moment, but fostering gives the child so much more. There's benefit to the child and parent.

"A child learns about family life, builds a relationship, even if that's just for a few weeks, it makes a great deal of difference to the start of their life.

"The reward is seeing a child growing up, or being able to help a child. It brings an immense amount of satisfaction to people. I have the greatest admiration for foster carers."

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].