It was 10 years ago when a compassionate mum-of-two decided to act on her desire to give something back. Having raised two daughters of her own, Shirley from Rochdale had always longed to be able to make a difference to a young person's life.
At 45, Shirley originally considered adoption but following a separation she became a single parent - and no longer felt that adopting was the right option for her.
Instead, she enquired about fostering with Salford City Council and from here, her life-changing journey of becoming a long-term foster carer began.
It was in November 2011 when Shirley welcomed eight-year-old Jane* into her family. "I started the process not knowing what to expect.
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