A new network has been launched for foster carers in Bath and North East Somerset to offer the support and relationships that an extended family provides.
Ahead of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight, which began earlier this week, B&NES Council joined the global Mockingbird programme and created its first community of ten foster families, known as a constellation.
The Mockingbird constellations encourage strong connections between fostering families to create an extended family unit for the children and young people in their care.
The ‘satellite’ families have support from a Mockingbird hub home carer, who offers the other carers peer support, social activities, and eventually childcare and sleepovers if needed.
The council provides a dedicated liaison worker to support the hub carer in running the constellation, as well as offer support to all of the families.
There are currently 13 children in the constellation in the district, and the ten satellite families include both regular foster carers and kinship carers, who are relatives or friends caring for a child when their parents are unable to do so.
This year’s Foster Care Fortnight theme is The Power of Relationships and highlights that connections are key to every fostering journey.
The national awareness-raising campaign celebrates foster carers and how relationships transform the lives of children and young people in care.
Councillor Paul May, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We are excited to be celebrating Foster Care Fortnight with the announcement of our new Mockingbird programme, which has created a unique extended family network for our ten families who are taking part.
“They will be able to help each other through the ups and downs of life, providing children with connections of their own age, as well as trusted adults they can fall back on for support and guidance.
“We all need relationships that nurture us throughout our lives and give us vital support, which is why it’s important that the carers in the constellation feel supported by other adults too.
“All our foster families in B&NES do an amazing job and we thank you for the differences you make every day.”
The Mockingbird Hub home carer said: “When we heard about Mockingbird we wanted to be part of it as we love the thought of a big family or community to share our woes and celebrations and for our young people to have a better fostering experience.
“They would be able to gain more friends and hopefully trusted adults.”
The council’s fostering team holds regular events in Keynsham Library where people interested in becoming a foster carer can speak with a social worker to find out more.
People can drop in on the first Thursday of each month between 9.30am and 11.30am.
