Mum To 800 Kids!

Home is...where my jerk chicken is!

- Cher Heasmer

Every child needs a mum.

Someone to kiss their grazed knees, give them lots of cuddles and love…

That’s how I felt when I saw an appeal on TV for foster parents.

It was 1973, and a charity was looking for temporary homes for children.

Some were orphans, others had been given away by their parents who couldn’t cope...

It broke my heart, and I felt I needed to do something.

‘I want to foster,’ I told my husband at the time.

We already had three kids of our own, who I loved to bits, but I had a lot more love to give.

So, I contacted the fostering charity and applied.

Eventually, I was accepted, and Janet, then 7, was the first child to be placed with me.

‘It’s just until we find her an adoptive family,’ a social worker explained. To help Janet settle

That’s me in the ad!in, I cooked a family meal.

Caribbean-inspired jerk chicken was my kids’ favourite.

And it went down a treat with Janet, too.

Before I knew it, everyone was chatting away over mouthfuls of spicy chicken and rice.