We are delighted to see the appointment of Robbie Butler, a foster carer and long-standing supporter of The Fostering Network, as the new Health Minister in Northern Ireland.
Our Director in Northern Ireland Carolyn Ewart, said:
“The Fostering Network warmly congratulates Robbie Butler MLA on his appointment as Minister of Health for Northern Ireland. We welcome the opportunity to continue building on our positive relationship with him and look forward to work together to support foster carers, kinship foster carers, children and young people in foster care, and the wider fostering community.
“We also want to take this moment to send our sincerest thanks to the outgoing minister Mike Nesbitt for all the work he has undertaken to support fostering families.
“Minister Butler brings a particularly valuable personal understanding of fostering, having been a foster carer himself. His lived experience, alongside his long-standing public service, offers a strong foundation for informed leadership on children’s social care, family support and the vital role of foster care within Northern Ireland’s health and social care system.
“Northern Ireland is experiencing sustained pressure across children’s social care. The number of children in care has reached a record high and there are many issues that have been left to drift for too long and need urgent action. The Department of Health’s forthcoming recruitment and retention strategy will help address these challenges, and we look forward to working with him to implement it.
“We are optimistic about the minister’s appointment and the opportunity to provide foster care with the leadership, visibility and practical support it needs.”
