After more than 13 years at The Fostering Network, Nikki Gregg is stepping on from her role as Country Director for Northern Ireland. In this letter, Nikki reflects on her time with the organisation, the progress made in foster care, and thanks the colleagues, partners and carers she has worked alongside.
After thirteen and a half years at The Fostering Network I have decided that it is time to move on. I have loved my time here, initially joining as the team Manager for the Fostering Achievement service (later becoming Fostering Attainment and Achievement) before more recently leading Northern Ireland as Country Director.
Over my time here change has moved very slowly but I was delighted to finally see, after many years of campaigning, new regulations for Foster Care passed at Health Committee and Draft Standards for Foster Care that will hopefully introduce much needed change and ultimately better support children and young people who need to be looked after.
We worked closely with Professor Ray Jones on the Reform of Children’s Social Care and are hopeful through engagement in the workstreams that we will see much needed change for foster care.
It has been an honour and a privilege to be involved in the inception, planning and delivery of the Step up Step Down service that has been making a real difference to children and families on the edge of care and supporting families to stay together.
Similarly given the rise of kinship care in NI being able to support families with their very different needs through the Fostering Kinship support service has been invaluable and I hope to see this service extend to meet the growing needs.
I have been proud to be involved with our Fostering Attainment and Achievement service over the past thirteen and a half years, supporting around fifteen thousand children and young people with their individual educational needs and around the same number of foster and kinship carers.
I want to thank all my colleagues in the statutory and independent sectors for their support during my time here and also my work family at The Fostering Network.
Finally thank you to every foster and kinship carer that I have had the pleasure of meeting over the past 19 years that I have worked in this sector. I have learned so much from each and every one of you.
Best wishes,
Nikki Gregg
Country Director for Northern Ireland
