Our fostering community
This Foster Care Fortnight Northumberland children in care, children who foster, local supporters, foster carers and other professionals in Children’s Services are sharing #WhyWeCare to encourage more people to come forward and share their home with a vulnerable child or sibling group.
“Our Foster Carers are key in helping children thrive in Northumberland and the surrounding areas.”
“I would like to thank all our foster carers, their families, friends and supporters for everything they do for all our children in care across the county.
If people are thinking about fostering, please come forward to join our family. If you can’t foster at this time, please help us share the word across your networks.”
Liz Spaven: Senior Manager – Residential and Family Placement Service
“We aren’t able to foster, but we are thankful for the opportunity to help the Northumberland Fostering Team to spread the word that we need more foster carers.”
“Knowing that our support in the community is indirectly giving children a happier, healthier and more successful future with a foster carer inspires us to continue.”
Neil and Fee Purvis, National Award winners: Fostering Supporters of the Year 2021
“My carer Alan has helped me feel part of the family, by giving me space and trust to make my own choices.”
“He gives me boundaries, and I just feel really settled and safe here so I can get on with my life and school.”
Care experienced young person Ebony, talking about her foster carer Alan
"Our Northumberland foster carers are ordinary people who do brilliant work caring for children - but we need more of them!”
I feel privileged to help manage this amazing team of foster families and their supporting workers. We need people from all walks of life and experiences, so if you have a spare room and want to work with children, please get in touch.
Oh and Northumberland does pay a guaranteed weekly income, unlike a lot of agencies, so you do get paid even if a child is not living with you."
Lynne Love: Fostering Team Manager
"Our Foster Carers are an integral part of the care team, who champion the education of each individual child, encouraging attendance and supporting them to do the very best they can at school while raising aspirations to improve their life chances and outcomes. I feel privileged to work alongside our fantastic children and their dedicated carers."
Tara Prescott: Virtual School Deputy Head and Manager of Education Support for Looked After Children
“He is so happy in their care and is continuing to thrive.”
“Jonny and Dean are first time carers and have been fantastic. It is clear that their fostered child is a much-loved little boy and one of the family. “
From a Northumberland Social Worker
“They genuinely care for their fostered child and I know he cares for them.”
“Val and Mike have been and continue to be outstanding carers for their fostered child, they always go the extra mile.”
Feedback from the Northumberland Social Care Academy
“This should be used to recruit new carers....”
“The realities of fostering, when they love you soooo much that they crawl over specially to wipe snot and drool on your leg ”
Mandy Byrne: Northumberland Foster Carer
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