Jean and Jim retire after 50 years of foster care

A county couple have retired from fostering after an incredible 50 years providing love, kindness and care for hundreds of children.

Jean and Jim Innes originally started fostering in November 1975. They lived in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh, with their daughters Marion and Julie, then seven and ten.

First steps in fostering

When their girls were born Jean and Jim agreed that Jim, a blacksmith, would be the family's breadwinner while she would stay at home.

As the girls grew, Jean felt it was time for a new challenge and one day she stopped off at the local volunteer bureau. They were looking for volunteers at a children’s home in Colinton run by the Avenel Trust. This would work round her childcare responsibilities for Julie and Marion so Jean applied, was interviewed and accepted a position. She started work a couple of mornings a week but was soon almost full-time.

Jean developed a soft spot for an eight-months old girl who had been born profoundly deaf and had complex needs. Jean felt this girl had potential and asked if she could have her home at weekends. Although this wasn’t possible Sybil, the baby’s social worker, suggested Jean and her husband could foster instead and, after discussing it, the couple agreed. After undergoing an assessment, the baby moved home with them when she was 14 months-old, staying until she left to attend a residential school aged five. Before she moved on, Jean and Jim had been providing short breaks for other young children and were easily persuaded to continue fostering. 

Caring for hundreds of children

Now based in Musselburgh, Jean and Jim have lost count of the number of children they have gone on to foster since then, but it’s likely to be in the hundreds.  

They have seen huge changes in the time they have been fostering. In the early days it was quite customary for Julie to wake up and find that she had been moved into Marion’s bed to make room for a fostered child!  Despite the changes, Jean and Jim count themselves lucky to have only had three supervising social workers in their 50 years of fostering. 

Fostering legacy continues

Although they have reluctantly decided to retire from fostering, Jean still feels very much part of the fostering community through her good group of friends who she shares a WhatsApp group with. As well as the profound impact they have had on the hundreds of children they have fostered, Jean and Jim’s fostering legacy continues through their daughter Julie who, together with her partner Raymond, are themselves foster carers.

Jean and Jim now enjoy spending time with their family – six children – Julie, Marion, Ian, Cheryl, Sam and Cal – 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Jean and Jim for their hard work and dedication that has had a profound impact on the lives of so many children in East Lothian. We wish them all the very best in their retirement from fostering.