What's new?

• New national strategy recognises kinship carers in Scotland
  Grandparents in Scotland caring for their looked after and accommodated grandchildren were brought in from the cold this week with the launch of a new national strategy on fostering and kinship care.

• Merlin spells out the magic of storytelling in Cardiff
  Telling my story, for fostered children, foster carers and sons and daughters of foster carers, was held at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. More than 70 adults and children, including those with special needs, attended.

• Legislation on children and young people is launched
  The Children and Young Person’s Bill which was published this week promises a range of improvements for fostered children.

• Children and foster carers tell a good story at Belfast event
  There was a packed house in Belfast last week for the first of the Fostering Network’s series of story telling events.

• National foster and kinship strategy to be launched in Scotland
  Adam Ingram, minister for children and early years in the Scottish Government, confirmed last week that he will launch a national foster and kinship care strategy before the end of the year.

• Storytelling makes reading fun for foster families in Northern Ireland
  Foster families in Northern Ireland have been provided with the chance to make reading fun for all the family. The Fostering Network have been awarded a grant from The Roald Dahl Foundation to support a project aimed at improving the literacy levels of children in foster care, from which our members in Northern Ireland will benefit.

• The Roald Dahl Foundation grant awarded to improve literacy levels of children in foster care
  The Fostering Network has been awarded a grant from The Roald Dahl Foundation to support a project aimed at improving the literacy levels of children in foster care. from which our members in Wales will benefit.

• Foster carer is crowned ITV Carer of the Year 2007
  Miriam Bennett, a foster carer from Bridlington, has won the highly prestigious accolade of ITV Carer of the Year, which was announced as part of the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards 2007.

• Children and young people reach for the stars with the launch of Fostering Achievement phase two
  The Fostering Network and Include Youth launched phase two of the Fostering Achievement Scheme at the Armagh Planetarium on Friday 12 October.

• Doing it for love AND money - the Fostering Network's annual conference strikes a chord
  For Love and Money, the theme of the Fostering Network's annual conference on 28 and 29 September, struck a chord. The well chosen title stressed the motivation of foster carers who are inspired both by love and appropriate rewards and support, which recognises their growing professionalism.

• The Fostering Network Wales gets new director
  We are pleased to announce that Freda Lewis has been appointed as the new director of the Fostering Network in Wales. Freda will take up her post on 1 August. She currently works for the Welsh Assembly Government and has recently been working on policy related to fostering and adoption.

• Queen celebrates fostering contribution
  Foster carers have had their work recognised in the recent honours list.

• Faces of foster care make appearances across the UK
  Hundreds of events were planned all around the UK to celebrate Foster Care Fortnight. The Fostering Network held events in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and London to mark the campaign.

• Nancy Hazel Memorial Lecture, London
  Dame Denise Platt will give the Fostering Network’s Nancy Hazel Memorial Lecture - Foster Care in the 21st Century – what would Nancy Hazel do now?

• Black-tie and diamonds fundraising ball, Belfast
  On Friday 18 May 2007 over 200 people will join the Fostering Network Northern Ireland for a black-tie and diamonds fundraising ball at Belfast City Hall where the Foster Carer of the Year will be announced.