News

The Fostering Network warmly welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Children and Young People in Scotland, Maree Todd MSP, that there are plans to strengthen the law in relation to keeping brothers and sisters together when they are placed in care when it is in their interest to do so. The changes will also mean that there will be the same duty on local authorities to promote contact between brothers and sisters in care as they have to promote contact with parents.

Step Up Step Down aims to prevent children who are on the periphery of the care system from being taken into care, enabling them to stay with their families at home instead. The programme is currently delivered to families in Northern Ireland and provides them with support by highly trained and experienced foster carers who offer bespoke, preventative support care for 12 - 15 months.

The Fostering Network is today launching its revamped foster carers’ charter and is calling on every fostering service to implement a charter during 2019.

A lack of support for foster carers, along with a failure to recognise the vital role they play at the heart of children’s social care, risks undermining their ability to meet the needs of fostered children, a leading charity is warning today. 

Responding to the release of the national statistics for fostering in England from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018, chief executive of The Fostering Network, Kevin Williams, said: ‘The figures make informative reading and help paint a picture of fostering and fostered children in England.

Responding to the publication of the Westminster Government's National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers’ First Year Report, Jackie Sanders, director of communications and public affairs, said: 'The introduction of a national implementation adviser for care leavers in England was a very welcome appointment and it is encouraging to read examples of good practice highlighted in his first annual r

Responding to the publication of the new looked after children figures released by Welsh Government for 2017-18, Colin Turner, director of The Fostering Network in Wales, said: 'These figures show a significant rise in the number of children coming into care and a commensurate rise in the number of children living with foster families.

Following the publication of the Care experienced children and young people report by the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, Jackie Sanders, communications and public affairs director at The Fostering Network said: ‘We welcome the recommendations of this child-focused report and its concentration on ensuring that there is an emphasis on improving stability and outcomes for care experienced children.  We also welcome the focus on prevention and investment in edge of care servi

The number of care experienced young people in England who are benefiting from a piece of flagship legislation designed to enable them to stay living with their foster carers until the age of 21 is ‘woefully’ low and ‘simply not good enough’, a leading charity is warning in a new report published today (Thursday 15 November).

Six sons and daughters of foster carers have been awarded The Fostering Network’s Outstanding Contribution by Sons and Daughters Award, as part of the charity’s annual Fostering Excellence Awards.

The announcement of the winners comes at the start of Sons and Daughters Month - The Fostering Network’s campaign every October to celebrate the vital role that the children of foster carers in welcoming fostered children into their families and ensuring successful fostering placements.

The winners of the award are: