He admits there are times when he's considered packing it in.
"Once or twice in the early hours of the morning when I've had someone self-harming for days on end, not getting much sleep and feeling unsupported, I've thought, 'this is enough'," he says. "Also, if you're standing in your house and a young person of 15 or 16, who is the same size as you, is wielding a hockey stick above his head shouting 'you're not my mother' at 4am in the morning, it can be a bit of a challenge."
Bond, a former teacher and youth worker, says he's driven by "an inner strength and resilience". But he warns that too often, foster carers are left unsupported with little training or reward for their work. It's an issue he wants to highlight ahead of Foster Care Fortnight, which runs from 17 to 30 May.
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