Krish Kandiah tells us about the joys and challenges of caring for children in great need.
'Well, we got this call late on a Friday afternoon. And you know that the local social services are in trouble, because they're phoning us, and we've already got six kids in the house. So they say, "Well, Krish, and Miriam, we know you've already got a full house, but is there any way you can take another one?" And again, my wife's already saying yes. There's a pattern here, my wife is the yes person. And I'm like, suspicious, or worried, or nervous. So I just say, "Just tell me something about this child, so we can prepare." And they said, "We can't tell you much. All we can tell you is, he's a biter." And that freaked me out.'
In this episode of Life and Faith, we spoke to Dr Krish Kandiah, a speaker, writer, social entrepreneur, and a prolific author of 13 books and counting. He's also the founder and director of Home for Good, a UK charity finding loving, stable homes for children in the care system and for young refugees.
Krish is tuned into the huge need for children in need of a home and speaks with positivity and vision around this formidable challenge. Not only is he an advocate for family reunion, fostering and adoption, but he and his wife Miriam have also extended their own family through adoption and have fostered around 30 children in their home, over 14 years.
Their life is anything but boring and Krish speaks with passion about the incalculable benefit to children of providing them with a safe, loving environment. And it’s impossible to miss the infectious joy that these children have brought into the Kandiah home.
'I don't know of a more joyful experience than watching a child who had a really tough start in life, grow and flourish....I don't know of a greater joy than helping children have great moments in their lives knowing the trauma they've had in their past. So it's a great gift to the children, but weirdly, wonderfully, it's a great gift to you as well.'
Home for Good Book