Monmouthshire County Council is making a special plea to find a kind, caring family or carer to provide a home for an ambitious 17-year-old young woman as she begins her journey into adulthood.

J has overcome many challenges in her life and was placed in her grandparents care when she was just three years old. From the age of 12, J went to live with a short-term foster family before moving to a permanent foster family where she stayed until she was 15. She now is in residential care as there are currently no foster homes available for her at this time. While a sudden end to these important relationships has affected J’s self-esteem, it is not holding her back from her wanting to reach her ambitions and build new relationships.

Monmouthshire’s Foster Care Team is calling on people who can steer J through her pathway to independence, help her build healthy relationships, create a structured environment with boundaries and have the time and patience to support her in future ventures.

J has said she hopes living with a new foster family will mean a new start for her. She said: “I’m a Transgender girl and I’m interested in health and fitness. I want to be accepted for who I am, I don’t want to be judged for who I want to be. I would like a fresh start and to experience being part of a family environment as local as possible to my education setting and my current residential home so I can continue to access all of the positive activities I enjoy within the area. I would like to develop relationships within a foster family home where I feel part of the family for the rest of my life, I need someone who I can visit and remain in touch with when I eventually move on to independent living.”

Cabinet Member for Safeguarding, Social Care and Health, Cllr Penny Jones said: “J is an ambitious and adventurous young woman and she deserves what any 17-year-old should have – a safe, loving family environment, to give her the confidence to be the person she desires and the feeling of acceptance. She has so much potential and just needs the right people and environment to help her thrive. I call on anyone who is able to be that person in J’s life to please contact Monmouthshire’s Fostering team and make a difference.”

Anyone wanting to speak to Foster Monmouthshire about supporting J and to find out about the support, training and allowances associated with becoming a MyST therapeutic foster carer can contact 01873 735950.