Blogs
Darren from Canterbury, Kent, has been fostering with his husband for 10 years now. Darren shares how being a disabled foster carer, living with the condition multiple sclerosis, has enriched his fostering experience.
By Jacqui Shurlock and Vicki Swain, Joint Head of Policy and Campaigns
Over the last few months, we asked you to share your views on the final report of the independent review of children’s social care in England. You did so through our care review survey, at focus groups and in forum meetings. Thank you to everyone who got involved!
In this blog, we will tell you how we will be using your feedback. We are also looking at the recommendations you think would do most to improve outcomes for children and young people. The blog features the views of the 665 foster carers who responded to our survey or attended our forums and consultation events.
At the age of 12 he suggested fostering to his parents, at the age of 18 he fought his first mixed martial arts fight, now, aged 26, he has embarked on a professional fighting career and dreams of fostering and opening a children’s home. Meet Luke ‘the Gent’ Trainer.
I believe that every care experienced person applying to university should tick the box. We’re all just trying to succeed in a world that expects us to fail; and I absolutely would have, had it not been for the support my university gave me when I needed it most.
Chrissy Brown is a HR generalist and mental health advocate. She is the founder of Young Positive Minds which aims to empower children and provide them with the tools they need to maintain good mental health when faced with challenges. Here she tells us about positive affirmations and how to reinforce resilience in children and young people.
To mark the start of the Foster Care FortnightTM celebrations, Sarah Thomas – our Director in Wales – shares what she is most looking forward to and how she plans to celebrate our fantastic #FosteringCommunities.
This is my seventh Foster Care FortnightTM as chief executive of The Fostering Network, and each year I like to kick off the campaign by celebrating all of those involved in fostering for the vital role they play in the lives of children in foster care.
The Fostering Network in Wales has recently produced a resource to help fostering services establish support groups for male foster carers, with a particular focus on newly approved male carers. The resource was written by two experienced male foster carers, with input from several other men. Here, one of the writers explains why they believe the resource – and the support groups – to be so vital.
We have seen the difference that clear national leadership has made to adoption in England, with the Adoption Leadership Board and Strategy driving performance improvements and creating clear leadership within the sector. Given that 71 per cent of children in care in England live with foster carers, similar levels of leadership and resource must now be directed to the fostering sector, which is under huge pressure. Our chief executive, Kevin Williams, explains.
Every Mockingbird constellation is led by a hub home carer in partnership with a liaison worker. These roles are unique in foster care, building a community and supporting whole families. Wendy, a hub home carer in Wigan, tells us how she got into fostering and what her hub home carer role requires.
