Blogs
Selina is a social worker and care experienced. She came into care when she was nine years old and lived with her foster family until she turned 18. Selina is convinced that the positive family experience as a foster child enabled her to live the happy life she leads now. She knows how important it is both for carers and the ones cared for to stay in touch if it is in the child’s best interest and argues for this to be more encouraged.
Mockingbird constellations are led by a hub home carer and liaison worker who support six to ten satellite families to form a supportive community based on an extended family model – the first constellations in the UK launched in late 2015. We are marking this five years anniversary by sharing the experiences – this time from Mockingbird at the Royal Borough of Greenwich – of foster carers, young people and staff in services to hear how it feels to be part of the programme.
The Mockingbird hub home carer role is unique. Michelle and her husband Paul have, over two and a half years, built a supportive community ‘constellation’ of ‘satellite’ fostering families, with the full support of their fostering service. We spoke to them to learn more about their constellation and how they have found ways to support each other and celebrate together even during lockdown.
In February LGBT+ History Month is celebrated in the UK. We are joining in by highlighting the vital contribution the LGBTQ+ community makes to foster care and what more can be done to ensure that both LGBTQ+ foster carers and young people have the best possible experience of care.
For the first blog of this series, we spoke to four LGBTQ+ foster carers about their role, caring for LGBTQ+ children and what foster carers can do to ensure that every child feels supported on their journey.
Earlier this week, Dr Nikki Luke, a research fellow at the Rees Centre, University of Oxford, and two care experienced colleagues, Charmaine and Jade, published Education and Care: A resource for young people. This blog follows a conversation she and Daisy Elliott, policy and research officer at The Fostering Network, had about the resource and wider research project.
Schools in Scotland have now reopened and the next month should see term begin across Northern Ireland, England and Wales. While school opening arrangements will vary across the four nations, this blog offers foster carers suggestions on how to smooth the process for children and young people.
With A level results being received in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Dr Jonathan Kirkup from Cardiff University gives his advice for students about the process of going through clearing
Veronica has been a foster carer for almost 12 years. Together with her husband, she currently cares for two young women, one of which is an asylum seeking teenager who arrived in the UK all by herself when she was 16. In this blog Veronica tells us what this is like and why the two women are such a good match.
All names in this blog have been changed for anonymity.
Sunflower was only 16 when she came to the UK after being forced to leave her family, her home country and everything she knew. When she arrived, she was alone and didn’t speak any English. A year later she has learnt the language, settled in and started dreaming about the future. A testimony of young people’s resilience and the importance of foster care.
All names in this blog have been changed for anonymity.
