This month we celebrated the unsung heroes of fostering families – children of foster carers! Birth and adopted children play a vital role in fostering families, however the significance of their impact can sometimes be overlooked.
This is why we hold Children of Foster Carers' Week – an opportunity to spotlight how children of foster carers go out of their way to welcome children and young people into their home and make them feel safe and supported.
Throughout the week, we shared some powerful stories from the fostering community, including:
- Sisters Grace and Rowan, who chose to spend their school break supporting a child coming for short-break care instead of going on holiday. They are both completely committed to fostering, showing kindness and empathy beyond their years. When their family moved to providing short-break foster care, one of their biggest concerns was whether they would still be able to help children and young people in the same way.
- Advocates for the powerful work of Mockingbird, Alice and Olive suggested their family step up when their Hub Home carers retired. The girls didn't want to see the support and friendships their Mockingbird community had created come to an end, and their advocacy worked – their family became the next hub home.
- Dantai, who proudly stood up in his school assembly to talk about his life in a fostering family and how he would like to be a foster carer himself one day. The care he shows the children who join his home has a huge impact on helping them feel safe, as he shares his own experience of being fostered and adopted.
We also heard from foster carers Hannah and Richard, who shared insights into their children's experiences of growing up in a fostering family and how they supported them. They spoke about preparing their boys for fostering, the challenges they experienced and the ways in which they have seen their children grow throughout their fostering journey.
These stories highlighted the different experiences each child of foster carers has – but we saw one common theme: the natural care, empathy and kindness that children show to the children and young people who join their homes.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating and recognising the children of foster carers in your fostering community. We loved hearing all the ways you were supporting and recognising them for the vital role they play.
All of the resources, including certificates and information posters, will remain available to download from our website for you to share with the children of foster carers in your lives.
Members can also catch up on our special Children of Foster Carers' Week webinar via the members' portal.
