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天涯社区 Foster Carers win Fostering Awards
Published: 25/10/2018
Two local 天涯社区 fostering families have been honoured at a national fostering award ceremony held in London recently (on 24 October 2018).
The Fostering Excellence Awards, run by The Fostering Network, are the UK鈥檚 leading foster care awards. They听celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in fostering and recognise those who make exceptional contributions to foster care every year.
Now in their fourth year, the Fostering Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on some of the young people, foster carers, social workers and others who make a positive contribution to the fostering community.
天涯社区鈥檚 Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:
鈥淭his is a truly wonderful achievement and I鈥檇 like to say congratulations to these worthy winners.听 I would also like to give a big thank you 鈥� on a personal level and also on behalf of 天涯社区 - to all our foster carers. Good foster carers make a difference to children鈥檚 futures and their life chances. They open up their homes and provide safe, caring and nurturing family environment where children can develop and thrive, and reach their full potential.听 We are looking for more people to become foster carers, for more information, please contact the 天涯社区 Fostering Service.鈥澨�
Outstanding Contribution by Sons and Daughters Award
Bethan, 18, Rhianna, 16, and Robert, 13, have been actively involved with fostering since they day they were born as their parents had started fostering prior to having children. Since then fostering has become ingrained into their everyday lives. For example, when Bethan and Rhianna chose to write about fostering as part of their English assignments, their teacher was moved to tears and inspired to become a foster carer too.
Throughout the years, all three have made a huge difference to their foster siblings鈥� lives 鈥� learning to sing in sign-language, feeding newborns and generally being incredibly supportive of all aspects of their parents鈥� fostering.听听
Bethan, Rhianna and Robert have been involved in producing Thrive magazine for fostered young people in Wales, have been active members of the young fosterers group supporting sons and daughters of foster carers and have helped to create a kids鈥� guide to fostering including poems they had written about fostering.
Their nominator, Jill Jones, from 天涯社区 fostering service, said:
鈥淏ethan, Robert and Rhianna are a ray of sunshine. We鈥檝e watched them grow into such aware, caring, thoughtful, kind, confident young people and their parents should be very proud of the way they have raised them with fostering as their way of life.鈥�
Beth, Rhi and Jaqueline Wilson
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鈥淏eth, Rhi and Rob are not only excellent representatives of fostering but they possess a winning combination of kindness, selflessness and emotional maturity. They are passionate about fostering and never cease to show this whether it be in their school assignments, writing poetry or supporting other sons and daughters of foster carers鈥� Jaqueline Wilson, Author of Tracey Beaker.
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Outstanding Contribution by a Foster Carer Award
Lesley and Mark have been foster carers for 天涯社区 for four years. They are currently caring for a little girl who, because of her disabilities and complex health needs, requires round the clock support. Lesley and Mark have been trained in a range of medical interventions and there have been many occasions that without quick action from them the outcome could have been extremely serious.
This 24-hour care makes life very challenging for Lesley and Mark 鈥� for example they had to spend one Christmas in hospital, only celebrating Christmas with their family in February.听Times in hospital have also involved offering emotional support to little girl鈥檚 birth family as she听has fought for her life in intensive care.
Lesley and Mark are awaiting alterations to their home to support the child鈥檚 needs and to create the space required for specialist medical equipment.
Vitally, Lesley and Mark are surrounded by their amazing family, a fantastic multi-agency team of professionals from health, education and social services, and have the support of the team at their local children鈥檚 hospice.听
Debbie Sherlock, 天涯社区 Social worker who nominated Lesley and Mark, said:
鈥淐aring for a child with such needs is demanding both physically and emotionally, but Lesley and Mark do this with love, laughter and compassion.鈥�
Kevin Williams, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said:
鈥淭he awards give us a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on outstanding foster carers and their families who give their all to provide the best quality of life for the children and young people who come to live with them. 听We admire their selfless nature and commitment and congratulate the Hughes鈥� and Goodwins鈥� on these well-deserved awards.鈥�
For more information about becoming a foster carer with the local Council, visit or call 01352 701965.