News

Kay Jackson, a prominent member of the fostering community in Scotland and foster carer with Barnardo’s Scotland fostering service, has been awarded The Fostering Network’s President’s Award. The award, which is part of The Fostering Network’s Fostering Excellence Awards, recognises Kay’s outstanding contribution to fostering over more than quarter of a century.

Debbie Douglas, well-known to many from The Only Way is Essex and hit podcast The Brights, has today (Monday 9 September) been awarded The Fostering Network’s President’s Award for her exceptional contribution to fostering.
 

Responding to the Children’s Commissioner for England’s annual Stability Index which shows a care system changing over recent years as more and more older children and teenagers with complex needs enter care, Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: ‘It will come as no surprise to anyone involved in the fostering sector that there is an increase in the number of teenagers in care and the comple

Michelle Donelan, the new interim Children’s Minister at the Department for Education, has a vital role to play in making foster care in England the very best it can be. Here’s just five issues, of many, for her to tackle as a matter of urgency if we are to see improved stability and outcomes for looked after children. 

Following Gavin Williamson’s appointment as Secretary of State for Education in England under the new Prime Minister, chief executive of The Fostering Network, Kevin Williams, said: ‘We welcome the new Secretary of State to his role and hope that during his tenure he and his team will pay significant attention to foster care and the needs of looked after children. 
 

A new project raising awareness and reducing the stigma of care experience in educational settings in Scotland has today been announced by The Fostering Network.

The Fostering Network welcomes the publication of the report Care to talk about Money? by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Education for Young People.

Too little progress has been made over the last two years tackling some of the most significant issues impacting on Scotland’s foster families and the children they care for, and the Scottish Government should take immediate action to remedy this, The Fostering Network is warning today with the publication of its State of Scotland’s Foster Care report. 

As part of our Foster Care FortnightTM 2019 campaign, we held a reception at the Scottish Parliament with children from our Walking Tall project, alongside their foster carers and social workers. We were delighted to be joined by the children’s minister, Maree Todd and the children’s commissioner, Bruce Adamson. We received an apology from the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, however, a few days later we were delighted to receive an invitation to her official residence, Bute House.

Hollie George, 24, will receive The Fostering Network in Northern Ireland’s inaugural President’s Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to foster care. The award will be presented on Friday 17 May at Malone House, Belfast. 

Reflecting on her experience of foster care from the age of nine, Hollie is clear her foster carers, Trevor and Heather, changed her future for the better.