New funding supports FCA work

The Fostering Network has been awarded a grant of almost £450,000 over three years to continue its work developing and supporting foster care associations (FCAs) in England.

The grant, from the Big Lottery Fund, will enable the Fostering Network to offer advice, guidance and support to foster carers wishing to establish and run local foster care associations. It will also continue to ensure that these associations have the maximum benefit to the community of foster carers and their families at a local, regional and national level.

FCAs provide a meeting place for foster carers to share problems, ideas and solutions and access peer support. Over the last four years the Fostering Network has established a community of 122 FCAs across England, which network, share good practice and provide discussion forums on common issues. The project was initially funded by the Big Lottery and over the past year has been supported by the John Ellerman Foundation.

Deputy chief executive Raina Sheridan said: “This new funding is fantastic news for the Fostering Network, for foster carers and the children they care for.

“Foster carers look after children day in day out: listening to them, valuing them and caring for them. But, too often, they don’t receive the recognition and support they need to do their job effectively.

“This project will ensure they can work together to tackle their problems and provide mutual support through local foster care associations. It will offer an outreach service, training and development opportunities to help establish 15 new foster care associations. The end result will be better supported and valued foster carers, with the support to do their jobs – looking after tens of thousands of fostered children across England – more effectively."