Blogs
Greg De Smidt is a registered manager for a small independent fostering provider with over 20 years-experience in the UK fostering sector. He has worked across the statutory, independent and charitable sectors and held senior management roles in England and Scotland. He is also a trustee at The Fostering Network.
My name is Catherine and I am a kinship foster carer in Northern Ireland and I would like to share with you a bit about what fostering has been like for me.
Fostering involves many different people who all contribute to make sure that children in care can thrive. Janet Smith, trustee of The Fostering Network since 2015 and chair of the board since 2020, has played different roles in the lives of young people throughout her life. Here she shares her story with fostering and how it all began.
The Fostering Network have been running the Keep Connected campaign since 2015. Through this campaign we hope to create lasting change in the way that local authorities and fostering services plan and support contact between children and their former foster carers.
My name is Jasmine and I wanted to share with you what I have achieved since living with my aunt and uncle. I am 14 years old and have been living with my aunt and uncle for 10 years. Throughout this time I have accomplished a lot of things and have been given many opportunities by The Fostering Network, all of which I am extremely grateful for.
As of 31 March 2020 there were 2,673 children living with foster families in Northern Ireland. Around 35 per cent of those children are in kinship placements. To put it simply a kinship placement is when a child goes to live with a member of their family or close friend who must be approved by their local trust.
Behind those numbers are real people. I am one of them.
Well what a year it’s been!
I did not expect us to be running Foster Care Fortnight virtually for the second year in a row but here we are and as CEO of The Fostering Network I am writing to say a huge thank you for all of your fostering efforts over the last year.
Leah Glenday is the first pupil from her school and the first young person in foster care from the London Borough of Haringey to study at the University of Cambridge. She has also inspired her younger sister, Kia, to pursue big ambitions of her own. We spoke to them both about their academic goals and achievements.
Nick Barnsby is a father of five who spent a decade as a foster carer and had a career dedicated to working with children in care. During the coronavirus pandemic at the age of 61 he wrote his first book, Heroes of Covid-19. He talks about his book and how it was shaped by his experiences.
I had decided from an early age that I loved school. Even though I was bullied, and I never really made friends at school, it was always better than being at home. I loved learning, I loved reading and I loved my teachers. It was my escape.
