A day in the life of a carer in an Action for Children home

Michelle's role is to give children the love and care they need and to create a nurturing environment for them to enjoy, achieve and thrive in all their aspirations, no matter how big or small they are.

In Michelle's words:

"Well, it’s 7am, so time to go and wake up the tribe for the start of their first full week at school after the holidays.

So, with Teddy Swims 'The Door' playing loudly, I head upstairs and sing along in my best karaoke voice as that should be enough to wake the three of them up."

"Sure enough, Cassy* (seven) comes running out of her room and joins in singing and dancing in the passage with me, Liam* (11) is shouting 'you’re crazy' from his bedroom."

"It’s Monday, so the fire alarm needs testing, carpets need hoovering, Cassy needs a birthday card and present for the party she’s going to later in the week and the online shopping needs to be ordered. First things first though, I am going to tackle their bedrooms and bathrooms, which is always a pleasure..."

"I head off to pick Cassy up from school. She’s a big ball of energy when she comes running out, so it looks like we’re heading home via the park so she can run off some of this extra energy."

"Gabby comes bounding in from school with Kerry and she’s excited about her residential trip away with the school in two weeks, as she’s been picked to go."

"She has Kerry checking out the list of things she needs to take. Me and Cassy are just starting our fourth game of Connect Four when Liam comes in, runs upstairs to get changed and then dives onto his spot on the sofa and turns on ‘Jurassic Park Camp Cretaceous’ to watch another episode, after letting me know he has no homework tonight with a big smile."

"Kerry has managed to get tea ready on time, so we all sit down to eat at the dining table. Cassy is already fussing as she doesn’t like mashed potato today, even though she loved it in her Sunday dinner yesterday and Liam is telling Gabby about his residential trip last year."

"All three children now have their iPads and tablets and are chilling, watching more Jurassic Park together in the lounge. It’s time to start their bedtime routines."

"Gabby has already gone up with Kerry to do her bedtime routine and Liam is on his way up with Paula" (another Therapeutic Residential Worker).

"So, now it’s time for me to get this house back to normal and do some paperwork and then grab some dinner."

Thanks to people like Michelle, children in care are feeling seen, heard and cared for. We know each one of them just wants to be like any other child. To go to school. Play with friends. Laugh. Have fun. Together with the vital support of people like you, we take action for children in care at every step of their journey.