Foster Care Fortnight runs from until 24th May and encourages people to consider fostering.
Anyone who begins their fostering journey will meet with a member of East Riding’s fostering recruitment team.
Jo, Charlotte, Lindsey, Kim, Nicky, Marie, Jenny, Jennifer and Bex all work to help people have the best experience along their fostering journey.
The team attend events and local venues to talk to people about fostering, and they can often be seen out and about in the pink East Riding Fostering t-shirts.
Meet Marie
Marie is East Riding Fostering’s Team Manager, she said: “We have a wonderful team of support staff and assessors who ensure we make the process warm, welcoming and supportive. They ensure that people who apply to foster with us are truly supported and nurtured throughout, and there is nothing better than being at a fostering panel and hearing those words ‘we are pleased to say panel are recommending your approval as foster carers for East Riding Fostering’. I get goosebumps every time!
“I am also really committed to providing our foster parents and their children with lots of opportunities to come together, play, have fun and have lots of different experiences. As part of my role, I am working with local businesses to create opportunities for carers to experience new things, have fun filled days out, and create special moments they can cherish. We have already had support from Hull Pickleball, the Parkway Cinema, the creators of DadFest and Boffy’s play café in Pocklington. I am so excited to continue making these connections with local businesses to ensure our foster parents can continue to have lots of wonderful experiences with their children.
“I have worked in children’s social care for 20 years, in lots of different roles. Fostering certainly has my heart, and I definitely feel like this is where I belong. I couldn’t be prouder of the work we do to ensure children and young people grow up in homes where they are able to grow and flourish into remarkable young adults.
“Foster Care Fortnight provides a wonderful opportunity to highlight the team that people will meet at the start of their fostering journey.”
Meet Jo
Jo has worked for East Riding Fostering for 18 years. Alongside processing enquiries and completing recruitment checks, Jo gets out and about promoting fostering at local venues and events. She said: “I love meeting people and I’m proud to be part of a team that strives to give the best outcomes for all children and young people.”
Meet Charlotte
Charlotte is a fostering care coordinator in recruitment and assessment. She supports families during enquiry calls, with the application process and collects all checks and references for the assessment. She said: “I knew I would love recruiting foster carers to provide our children with the love and care they need during a difficult time. I have seen children really flourish and grow with the support of their amazing foster carers.”
Meet Lindsey
Lindsay is a fostering social worker. She said: “I’m usually the person you meet once things move forward, and I’ll be with you through the assessment process, getting to know you properly, answering questions, and supporting you every step of the way.
"Over the past 12 years I’ve been really lucky to work in a variety of roles from safeguarding, adoption support and fostering. Keeping children safe is always at the heart of what I do. It’s really rewarding to see the positive side; children being safe, settled, and thriving. Supporting families to do something amazing and knowing it can completely change a child’s life, there’s nothing better.”
Meet Kim
Kim is a fostering social worker, she completes fostering assessments, facilitates Skills to Foster training, and helps to recruit foster carers. Kim said: “I worked in early years and further education and these roles played a big part in my career of supporting children and families, and helped shape my passion for fostering. I love supporting and guiding families through every step of their fostering assessment and the reward of seeing them become successful approved foster carers is fantastic.
"I am very passionate about fostering and recruiting foster carers who can provide a safe and loving home and help make a difference in a child’s life. I believe every child should be supported to reach their full potential, and foster carers play an important role in helping children achieve this. Being part of such positive change is something I feel proud of.“
Meet Nicky
Nicky is a fostering social worker. She said: “I support families through every stage of their fostering journey, offering guidance, reassurance and practical support to help them provide safe and nurturing homes for children. I’ve also been a foster carer myself, which gives me a really personal understanding of the role. Fostering felt like a meaningful way to make a real difference and East Riding Fostering’s commitment to carers and children really aligns with my values.”
Meet Jenny
Jenny is the area manager for fostering and adoption. She became a social worker in 2007, and worked supporting adults with learning disabilities before then. Jenny said: "As a child and young adult i supported my parents who fostered. Growing up within this environment has provided me with great insight and understanding to the difficult yet rewarding role of being a foster carer and part of a fostering family."
Meet Jennifer
Jennifer is a social worker and assessor within the team, who meets applicants and supports them to complete their assessments. She has previously worked in a children with disabilities team. She said: “I wanted to work in fostering to help support foster carers meet the varied needs of children.”
Meet Bex
Bex is a senior fostering social worker, who oversees the enquiry process and completes initial visits for fostering. She said: “I support families by ensuring they have all the information going into their fostering journey to make sure they are able to make informed decisions.
"When I started out on my Social Work journey, it was always my goal to sit within a fostering service, because of my own experience when my parents became foster carers. This was something I was very much in support of at the time and I remember feeling very included in the assessment process and being able to share my views. Having children looked after in the household, and experiencing first-hand how wonderful it can be to support vulnerable children be the best they can be and overcome challenges, made me want to pursue a career in fostering. As I grew older, I also took on the role of respite foster carer for the children in my parent’s care, giving my clear insight into the feelings and perspectives of foster carers themselves. I love meeting new people and hearing about how their life journeys have brought them to consider fostering.”
This Foster Care Fortnight is a chance to begin your fostering journey by –
- Signing up for our online information event taking place on Friday 22 May at 12.30pm: https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/children-and-families/fostering/#upcoming-events
Discover what fostering involves, the different options, and the children who need your support. We’ll talk you through our offer, the support available, payments, and the training we provide to help you every step of the way. It’s also a great chance to ask any questions you might have. - Contact East Riding Fostering for a friendly, informal chat or to request an information booklet on: (01482) 394095, via email: fosteringrecruitment@eastriding.gov.uk or follow East Riding Fostering on Facebook.
