Northern Ireland members were pleased to meet as part of a working group with Department of Health today. We are looking forward to contributing to the development of national minimum standards in coming months. Great to see an early elaborate & thoughtful draft by the Department.

Glasgow CC Foster Carers have fought and WON
Carers have ended the unfair practice of cutting childcare allowances to recoup previous 'overpayments'

Carers will no longer face unfair immediate deductions in allowances that destabilise their support and make budgeting impossible

Rude awakening in n it’s way

A recent add for a housing association. 'No Care Leavers'. Discrimination in plain sight and that's why we want care experience to be a protected characteristic.

Pleased to have submitted our nominations to Department of Health for the working group developing Minimum Standards for Fostering Services in Northern Ireland. Hopefully the beginning of much-needed change in fostering. #nothingaboutuswithoutus #PPI #coproduction #joinaunion #fosteringNI

A few sobering fostering stats. 📊👇

Initial applications to become a mainstream foster carer in England...

2020/21: 160,635
2021/22: 138,075
2022/23: 125,195*

*Lowest since current recordings began.

Pleased to report GEMS carers in one of Northern Ireland Trusts will not experience reduction in payments as previously communicated. #strongertogether #joinaunion

What was interesting about today’s Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Health committee. Department of Health briefing & responses was the emphasis placed on the children’s programme reform board & the various work streams. A board & fostering workstream membership @fcwunion was excluded from applying for. PPI fail!

A rare article that captures some the complexity of foster carers role and their place in the system. Worth a read!

Members had further engagement with SPPG on foster care reform in Northern Ireland. A meeting with Department of Health officials about allegations in foster care policy. The status quo must end, the time for active & meaningful co-production of policy & meeting statuatory duties is now!

An end to the misclassification of foster carers would expose their exploitation. But sure let’s focus on recruitment.

Our Chair Kenny Millard and member Leanne Morton told STV news that @FalkirkCouncil Falkirk Fostering, Adoption & Kinship Team are failing carers and Scotland's foster children deserve better.

Unless councils urgently raise carers' support, the system is facing collapse.

Delighted to see our Northern Ireland members engaging with staff from Strategic Planning & Performance Group (SPPG) discussing foster care reform. We look forward to continued discussions with the Department of Health in coming months.

There is a desperate need to improve the resourcing of foster care to ensure that children receive the quality of care they need. Improving retention by improving the pay, terms and conditions of foster care workers is essential. It's time for fair foster care. #fosteringUK

More evidence of systems in crisis. It’s time for a radical reset of children’s social care services.