Charlbury boxing twins share their experience of living in foster care

A young person going into foster care is likely to experience a range of emotions. There will be psychological barriers to overcome, the gradual building of trust, slowly adjusting to their new home and building a relationship and understanding with the foster carers.

However, once settled, it can lead to remarkable things, brilliant opportunities and success; and that is the experience shared by 18 year olds Chris and Johnny who have been in foster care in Charlbury over the last four years.

Chris and Johnny are identical twins, and entered foster care together at 14.

Chris: We wanted to share our story to help other children and teenagers going through a similar experience to understand that it might feel scary at first, but you’ll come out the other side stronger and hopefully, as in our case, full of ambition because you’ve got self-belief and direction, thanks to lots of support and encouragement.

Uncertainty… don’t want to mess up

When they first moved in with their brilliant foster carer, Lucy, life was a bit uncertain and they weren’t always sure what support would be available to them, everything was strange and new.

Johnny: At first it felt like staying at a friend’s house, you feel comfortable but you’re only a guest, you don’t want to mess up. You’re not sure where things are or if you’re allowed to go into a room or make use of something that’s not yours, say someone else’s coffee mug.

It felt like entering a friend’s house, now it’s our home

Over time, routine and structure gradually provided them with reassurance, they started to feel more secure and confident, something they hadn’t really had until that point.

Johnny: Looking back, it’s impossible to remember when that magic moment happened, but it was like we woke up one day and it no longer seemed like a friend’s house, this place was now our home. That change could only have happened thanks to the care and support Lucy gave us, her commitment as our foster carer made so much difference.

Fighting for a bright future

Once they had settled, they began to dream, and the brother have a shared sporting passion, boxing.

Johnny: We train and coach together at Banbury Boxing Club; we’re really interested in fitness and sports nutrition too, so we’ve setup social media channels to share our knowledge. You’ll find us on TikTok: thetaylortwins07 and Instagram: thetaylortwins.07. It’s allowing us to get an understanding of marketing and publicity; that’s another reason why we thought it’d be good to write this shared blog.

A wonderful achievement for us both

They treated school and education seriously too, and it looks like their hard work has paid off.

Chris: We were recently contacted by University of Portsmouth offering us unconditional places on their psychology and sports performance undergraduate course, where we’ll enrol in September 2026.

We’ll never forget everything Lucy has done for us

University life will mean after four years they’ll be moving out of foster care; however, they’ll never forget everything Lucy has done for them, the down to earth, steady and comfortable upbringing.

Johnny: Simple things such as our own bedrooms, the everyday family activities like shared dinners, holidays abroad; it’s all helped make this truly feel like home, and now exciting opportunities are falling into place as a result.

And in one sentence - what does it mean to you?

Chris: It wasn’t hard to think about really, it just makes everything calm, it’s like we can wake up, we know what we’re doing, no stress.

Find out more

Whether you’re new to fostering or have experience working in care, education or health, fostering offers the chance to use your skills and make a lasting difference to a child or young person’s life in Oxfordshire.

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We're part of something bigger

Oxfordshire County Council is proud to partner with 19 other local councils in a regional fostering recruitment hub, Local Authority Fostering South East.