Blogs
This week sees the launch of The Fostering Network’s State of the Nation’s Foster Care 2021 report, which brings together the views of both foster carers and fostering services to highlight what’s working – and what isn’t – in the sector today. Here, our chief executive, Kevin Williams, reflects on the report's findings and what we must focus on in order to make foster care the best it can be.
Speaking to Black foster carers Fiona, Ingrid and Paulette make one thing very clear; all three of them love fostering and are immensely passionate about making a difference to young people’s lives. But they also want to make foster care the very best it can be.
Here they tell us about their experience of fostering and share their thoughts around the stigmatisation of Black children in care, matching and the recruitment of Black foster carers.
Read blog 2 here: Enabling Black children in care to own their identity and thrive
When applying to higher education through UCAS, I came across a box asking if I was care experienced. At the time I didn’t know why they were asking me this, or why it was relevant, but I ticked it, because it was the truth and I have never felt ashamed to have this status.
For Black History Month we are highlighting the amazing work Black people involved in fostering do. We also show where foster care has to do better to make sure it is the best it can be – both for Black foster carers and Black children in care.
In blog two of our series, Judith tells us about the challenges Black children in care are faced with and which steps have to be taken to make sure Black children in care can thrive.
Read blog 3 here: Mis- and under-representation of Black people in fostering
Today we are publishing a short paper, setting out four recommendations we would like the Care Review to endorse, Foster Care: Four Recommendations for Firm Foundations. These are based on research evidence, data and, equally important, the views and feedback from our consultation with foster carers and fostering services. We want these to inform our continued dialogue with the Care Review Team as they work up the detail of their recommendations. The following post contains reflections about the Review from our Chief Executive, Kevin Williams.
For Black History Month we are highlighting the amazing work Black people involved in fostering do. We also show where foster care has to do better to make sure it is the best it can be – both for Black foster carers and Black children in care.
First up is Judith. She is a speaker and author and the CEO and founder of The Transformed You, which delivers intervention and support mentoring programmes to care experienced people to help them transform their lives and thrive. Judith has also served on social care panels and is chair of The Black Care Experience and care experienced herself.
In blog 1 of our series, she tells us all about The Black Care Experience and the issues the Black care community has struggled with for decades.
Read blog 2 here: Enabling Black children in care to own their identity and thrive
Read blog 3 here: Mis- and under-representation of Black people in fostering
As part of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) awareness month, we asked developmental psychologist Dominic McSherry from Ulster University to share more about his research into FASD. Here he tells us why it is so important to continue to raise awareness and improve support for foster families caring for affected children.
Lucy Stevens is a foster carer and a recruitment and placements manager for Eastern Fostering Service. She has previously blogged for The Fostering Network about her experiences looking after a young person from Afghanistan and the asylum process. In this blog Lucy gives us an update on her and her former foster son’s situation in the light of the recent events in his home country.
In June 2021, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in England published their Case for Change document. The document aims to set out the problems the children’s social care sector is faced with. It also gives everyone with care experience or in the children’s social care workforce the opportunity to understand the Review team’s thinking and tell them what has been overlooked.
We think the document fell short in many areas, so we have written a response informed by our members to highlight what is missing.
Dr Arlene Weekes believes that the decisions that fostering and adoption panel members make are too often influenced by their own biases and backgrounds. She is calling for radical reform of how they are hired – and fired
