News

Education Minister, Peter Weir, has today visited a Fostering Achievement Primary Summer Scheme in Newtownards, County Down, run by Northern Ireland’s leading fostering charity The Fostering Network, where he met foster carers and children and young people in foster care.

The Fostering Network is delighted that the upcoming Fostering Excellence Awards, which celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in fostering, will be supported by Dreams, Britain’s leading bed specialist.

We are delighted to announce that The Fostering Network, as the UK’s leading fostering charity, has become an official conference partner for the IFCO European Conference taking place from 1 to 4 September 2016.

The Fostering Network has today launched its new guide for foster carers on supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The guide, which is relevant UK-wide and is suitable for foster carers who are new to caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or who have been doing so for some time, is available to download as an eBook for £2 each or £20 for 20. Printed versions of the guide can also be arranged on request.

The Fostering Network welcomes the publication of the Care Quality Commission’s report, Not Seen, Not Heard. The report is based on the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) review of the health care aspects of children’s services in England, and in particular how health services in a local authority area work together to provide early help to children in need and how they improve the health and wellbeing of looked after children.

Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said in response to the publication of the care leavers strategy Keep on Caring in England: “The Government in Westminster has set out ambitious but practical goals for supporting care leavers on their journey from care to independence in their care leavers strategy, Keep on Caring. These are warmly welcomed by The Fostering Network, and we believe the strategy can make a significant positive difference to the future lives of care leavers as they make the transition into adulthood.

The Fostering Network welcomes the publication of the Department for Education's Putting Children First: Delivering our Vision for Excellent Children’s Social Care, and in particular, we fully support the recommendation for a stocktake of foster care.

The Fostering Network welcomes the publication of the report The Impact of Unproven Allegations on foster carers by the University of Oxford’s Rees Centre.

Dr Emily Warren, director of The Fostering Network in Wales, said: ‘We are aspirational for all children, and we want to celebrate the successes, educational or otherwise, of children who grow up living in foster care.

In response to the publication of Sir Martin Narey’s independent review of children’s residential care in England, Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: 'The Fostering Network welcomes the publication of this review, and we believe it is a positive addition to the wider discussion on how to provide stability for young people living within the care system.