“It changes so many lives” - dedicated Moray foster carers are honoured
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A DECADE of dedicated fostering has seen two Moray women given long service awards.
Laura Higgins, who lives in Portgordon but stayed in Elgin for nine years prior to 2023, and Angie Kemp, from New Elgin, received awards at an event held to honour Moray’s foster carers.
Laura has been fostering since 1995, but moved to Elgin in 2013. She has looked after more than 60 youngsters, after originally starting to foster with her husband Ross, who passed away in 2018.
After suffering two miscarriages, the mother-of-two adopted two sons.
She said: “I have fostered over 60 kids. We used to have a large house and take families of three.
“I fell pregnant when I was 40 when I wasn’t trying to. Then I lost that baby. Then I got pregnant again and I lost that baby.
“I was reading the newspaper afterwards and there was an advertisement for a 12-year-old girl looking for foster carers.
“We weren’t meant to have a baby, but we thought it was our job to look after other ones. That’s why we decided to foster.
“At one time I had five at once - three I was looking after and then my own children.”
Laura wasn’t turned away from fostering after the death of her husband Ross.
Instead, she decided keeping the youngsters was the best call - to avoid them going to a new home while dealing with his loss.
Angie Kemp and her husband Des are just as dedicated to youngsters in Moray - having looked after eight in the last decade.
Angie, who has three children and is a grandmother of seven, has looked after several teenagers and currently has young twins in her care.
She said: “It was something me and my husband both wanted to do. We have three of our own children and we wanted to do this.
“My family muck in as much as I do and make it work. The children are round at the house most days and I can call on their support.”
Talking to prospective foster carers, she added: “If you want to do it and you have the urge to, just do it.
“It changes your life and it changes so many other people’s lives. You learn as much from the children as they learn from you. All their background stories are different.
“It’s a rollercoaster with ups and downs, but I have really enjoyed it. It makes you see there is more to life than just plodding on.
“You are doing good and helping. It’s lovely to see the kids flourish and grow.
“When it’s time for them to move on it’s heartbreaking in one way, but wonderful in the next because they are ready to move on.
“The first child I had still comes back and asks for advice. You make friends for life.”
To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Moray, visit www.moray.gov.uk/fostering or email DutyPlacementServices@moray.gov.uk.
