Blogs
Our regular blogger Lucy Stevens wrote this poem after being inspired by one of her fostering service's foster carers who she says is doing amazing work
Respite can be extremely positive for children and carers alike but the change in routine and environment can also be disruptive. In this blog Cathy Glass describes her experience of providing respite care, what she's learned and how much of an impact respite carers can make on the lives of children and young people.
A key part of of The Fostering Network's role is to raise the profile of fostering and further the understanding of fostering among the wider society. Whenever we hear, therefore, of a TV programme introducing a fostering storyline we wait with baited breath to see how accurately fostering is represented. TV, and especially drama, offers an opportunity to bring fostering into millions of homes – but it also brings the possibility of undermining the amazing work that tens of thousands of foster families do every day.
We were therefore delighted when Doctors first approached us – over a year ago – to seek some advice for a fostering story they were working on. The researcher asked very detailed questions which gave us hope that there was every chance of the reality of fostering being well represented, albeit within the constraints of a daily TV drama.
Kathleen Toner, director of The Fostering Network in Northern Ireland, what we are doing to celebrate Foster Care Fortnight in Northern Ireland and the future of foster care in the nation
Sean has been fostering with his wife, Marette, for many years in Northern Ireland. Marette has always worked in a childcare environment and from early in their marriage they had agreed that fostering was something they wanted to get involved in. In this blog Sean discusses their fostering experiences.
Shane Goodwin is a divisional manager for our corporate partners – Dreams. He is on a mission to raise as much money as possible for The Fostering Network this year.
Yvonne Kielt is a development worker for the Fostering Achievement scheme in Northern Ireland and in this blog describes how she has seen the positive influence the programme has had.
Hollie is a care leaver from Northern Ireland. in this blog she talks about her experiences of foster care and how it has transformed her life.
