By Molly Lee
A Leicester foster carer has been shortlisted as a finalist for the BBC’s Make A Difference Awards 2023.
Amanda MacDonald, a foster carer for nearly 14 years, will find out if she is a winner during the awards evening on Sunday, September 3.
The BBC’s Make A Difference Awards celebrate and award local heroes across the country who do extraordinary work in their communities, with categories including Carer Award, Great Neighbour Award, Volunteer Award, and more.
Each category has four finalists.
Amanda said: “It’s [the award] not for me, it’s for the little ones that come into my home.
“I just do what I do.”
Amanda is a foster carer under Leicester City Fostering and has a lot of experience in caring for children.
Leicester City Fostering is one of the largest fostering agencies in the East Midlands that helps children and families across Leicester.
According to ISP Fostering, there are currently almost 700 children and teenagers living in foster care in the city, and a further 600 across Leicestershire – all who need and deserve to feel safe.
Amanda said: “We try to do the best for them.
“You are teaching them that you are always there and that they are safe.”
Many of those who are in the foster care system often have barriers to overcome, which is a huge part of a foster carer’s role and which can vary from child to child.
“It is an absolute privilege, to be honest, to be able to take part in these children’s lives.
“All children should have a sparkle and smile. The day I see that smile is the day I know we made a difference. All children deserve that sparkle.”
More information about fostering in Leicestershire can be found here on the Leicester City Council’s website, Facebook Page, or by calling 0116 454 4500.
