Fostering Fortnight is the Irish Foster Care Associations Annual Awareness Campaign Ayeisha McFerran, Ireland Hockey Goalkeeper offers advice to young people in care

Today, Monday 7th March, is the start of Fostering Fortnight, the Irish Foster Care Association’s annual campaign to raise awareness and understanding of foster care in Ireland. Taking place from 7th – 20th March, Fostering Fortnight aims to shine a light on all the valuable contributions made by fostering families every day. It is a chance for all those involved in fostering, and the communities that support them to tell their stories and share their experiences. This year we are celebrating Fostering Relationships and the importance of strong and supportive relationships in fostering. Relationships are at the heart of what fostering is all about – building safe, nurturing relationships with children who need them in the context of a safe and supportive family, community, school and statutory child protection and welfare networks.

Highlights from the Irish Foster Care Association’s Members Survey 2022*:

• 46% said family and extended family have supported them in their fostering role and 29% said support came from other foster carers

• 87% of respondents said they would attend support groups for foster carers locally

• 63% said open and honest communication is essential when building relationships with care teams

Speaking at the launch of Fostering Fortnight, Catherine Bond, CEO, Irish Foster Care Association said: “IFCA conducted a survey amongst members and over 90% said that a National Helpline, Advocacy and Counselling Service are valuable services to support foster carers in their role. Echoing CareDay22 and ‘It Takes a Village’, the importance of strong and supportive relationships for foster carers cannot be underestimated. Foster families thrive best in like-minded communities and we are delighted to have over 30 coffee mornings taking place across the country as part of Fostering Fortnight, for foster carers to come to, meet other foster carers in their area, talk and share and hopefully come away knowing there is a fostering community to support them in their role.”

As part of Fostering Fortnight, we are delighted to offer foster carers over thirty coffee mornings and get togethers across the country, along with children and young people’s drama and music workshops and three learning events on the theme of fostering relationships. We are also launching for the first time a series of legal workshops facilitated by qualified legal personnel, starting with Understanding Care orders with Denise Kirwan, Partner, Comyn Kelleher Tobin solicitors.

Foster care is the backbone of the alternative care system in Ireland. There were 5,863 children in care at the end of December 2021, 90% (5,266) in foster care, 72% (3,768) in general foster care and 28% (1,498) in relative foster care. There were 2,435 general foster carers and 1,062 relative foster carers on the panel at the end of 2021. 87% (5,128) of children in care at the end of December 2021 had an allocated social worker. 87% of children in general foster care had an allocated social worker and 84% of children in relative foster care had an allocated social worker. 97% (5,660) of children in care at the end of December 2021 had an up-to-date care plan.

Ayeisha McFerran, Ireland Hockey Goalkeeper is supporting Fostering Fortnight this year. Ayeisha spent her teenage years in foster care and wants to share her story in support of children and young people in care. Speaking at the launch, Ayeisha said “I spent my teenage years in care so I know what it’s like growing up in care, and sometimes it can be hard to see what your future might be like when you have so many other big things happening in your life. I want to let those kids know to take the support from their foster families and fostering team as they grow up, they are there to help you reach your potential and help you navigate this time in your life when things can seem upside down.”

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said: “I am delighted to support the Irish Foster Care Association in their celebration of foster carers around the country and to congratulate the Association on their work over the past decades. I encourage anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer to contact Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, as new foster carers are needed now for children of all ages. Caring for foster children, either for a short period or their entire childhood, can transform a child’s life.”

Speaking at the start of Fostering Fortnight, Bernard Gloster, Tusla Chief Executive: “Tusla is delighted to support IFCA’s Fostering Fortnight and to join them in celebrating foster carers across the country. Foster carers are the backbone of the alternative care system and make a huge contribution to local communities by opening their homes and building trusting relationships with children and young people who are in need of support and stability. Fostering provides a loving and safe environment in which a child or young person can reach their full potential. We sincerely appreciate the work they do, and the legacy they are creating for a new generation of young people in this country.”

Thank you to Fastway Couriers Ireland and everyone who took part in Pedal 4 Paul and to Rita Martin and family for choosing the Irish Foster Care Association as a recipient from the Pedal 4 Paul fundraiser, this much needed support has helped IFCA to reach foster carers throughout the country with our coffee mornings, learning events and children’s activities during Fostering Fortnight.

You can keep up to date on all the activities taking place during Fostering Fortnight, on our website www.ifca.ie and also on Facebook and Twitter. Full calendar of activities below.

Fostering Fortnight Members Survey took place in January 2022 with 370 respondents.