Having raised Savitri for 18 years, they say they will ‘not look back’.

A couple who have been fostering for 18 years said they would “never look back” at what they described as a “perfect life”.

Diane Bines, 58, and Brian Bines, 68, from Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, first adopted a child when their six-year-old daughter Emma asked for a sibling.

Mrs Bynes said it was “not for a minute” that she predicted she would be looking after children continuously for almost two decades.

Peterborough City Council said it urgently needed to sign up more foster carers so children could stay in a family home.

The authority has 81 families working with its fostering service but said 148 children in its care are unable to live with their birth parents.

Cambridgeshire County Council also said it was seeing a shortage of foster carers, with many children waiting for a home in the county.

Across England, around 7,000 children are in care, the equivalent of a classroom of children looked after each week.

Mr and Mrs Bynes first considered fostering in 2006 when they brought their daughter to see a pantomime.

“It made us think, there are children who are not as fortunate as our daughter,” Mrs Bynes said.

They discussed it as a family and decided to start the application process.

Their daughter Emma, ​​now 24, was “really, really excited” about the prospect of having siblings.

“Although she was a little disappointed when she first came and wasn’t called Snow White,” Mrs. Bynes joked.

The application process included asking questions about family and their working life, as well as courses and tests to make sure they were ready for it.

“Die had a twinkle in her eye when she was doing it, she really gets into it,” Mr Bynes said.

He described his primary job as a “taxi driver”, adding: “Stuff like that, you know, taking kids here, there and everywhere.”

The couple admitted there were challenges and said their goal was to “always expect the unexpected.”

She said there are non-verbal children with difficult backgrounds who may become angry, or simply sad on occasions when the children meet their birth parents.

“When they come back they’re really quite down,” Mrs Bynes said.

“But McDonald’s usually supports things like that, just to make them happy.”

He described the support from the council as “incredible”, saying he never felt like he needed to deal with problems alone.

Mrs Bynes said: “I’ll never look back, it’s done now – it’s our best life.”

All foster parents receive a weekly allowance which costs around £165 and up to £289 per week, but this can depend on the age of the child and the level of experience of the foster carer.

Carers are also eligible for tax relief and other allowances including expenses for holidays, birthdays, travel or the purchase of baby equipment or furniture.

Katie Cole, councilor and cabinet member for children’s services at Peterborough City Council, said: “Fostering is an incredible way to make a lasting difference to a child’s life, giving them stability, care, and a loving family home. provides an opportunity to experience

“By opening your heart and home, you provide more than just shelter – you provide hope, security and the opportunity for a brighter future.”