Fostering Hampshire Children are working in partnership with several charities, organisations and communities throughout Hampshire to support the recruitment of foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. To support the recruitment and assessment of prospective foster carers, Fostering Hampshire Children are providing opportunities for professional development through delivered training programmes, shared learning and experiences, and ongoing engagement with local under-represented communities throughout Hampshire.
Home For Good recently delivered ‘Faith-Based Literacy Training’ to Fostering Hampshire Children, opening with the faith-based motivations to foster. Billy-Jo O’Leary (Regional Lead for London and the South-East) explained that “Church is the rhythm of their life” and discussed the biblical thread of family, hospitality and compassion throughout the Bible, welcoming children and protecting the vulnerable.
The team explored the different types of Church in the UK and interpretations of the Bible. Furthermore, the team considered how the Church connects with daily life and how the faith-community can support foster carers and children of the household, to include foster children and birth children alike. Billy-Jo discussed ways the Church can make a child feel safe and welcome, recognising and supporting the child's needs, and continuing to support the family in prayer.
The team at Home For Good are always happy to talk with the foster carers and their family, and work with the Church to support their fostering journey.
Fostering Hampshire Children will continue to reach out to the faith community across Hampshire through a series of events, engaging with Church Leaders and meeting the Church communities. Prospective foster carers are always welcome to contact the Family Care and Enquiry Team at Home For Good to ask questions or seek support too.
My Foster Family recently delivered ‘Faith and Cultural Training’ to Fostering Hampshire Children, raising awareness of Islam, the Muslim community in the UK and children of Muslim-heritage in care. Shaqib Juneja (Head of Operations for My Foster Family) was supported by faith-advisor, Imam Sheikh Osman, and two Muslim foster carers. Each of them provided insight into the significance of faith heritage as part of a child’s identity.
Ayesha Saeed is a foster carer of Muslim-heritage. She has fostered children for 18 years whilst also raising birth-children in the household. Ayesha discussed the importance of pride, identity and a sense of belonging for all children, in particular children from a different heritage to prevent the child experiencing a ‘loss’ of religion in addition to the trauma, confusion and sadness they will be inevitably experiencing.
Andrea Hunt has been a foster carer with Warwickshire County Council for 25 years and supports My Foster Family in promoting the best care for Muslim foster children. Andrea has fostered 101 children – many of whom were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and of Muslim-heritage. Andrea began informally studying Islam to support the children in her care and converted to Islam 15 years ago. Andrea provided insight to caring for USAC and children of Muslim-heritage, seeking Quran classes and Islamic teaching for the children in care and understanding the cultural and faith-based considerations around food and prayer.
The team explored the barriers facing potential Muslim foster carers and discussed the recommendations within ‘The Muslim Fostering Project – Barriers to Recruiting Muslim Foster Carers’. This report details how My Foster Family and their partners explore the experiences of Muslim foster carers and Muslim children in foster carer across England and identifies a number of recommendations for local authorities and fostering agencies to consider in their support of Muslim foster carers and children of Muslim-heritage. Fostering Hampshire Children will continue to explore this subject and seek to break down barriers facing Muslim foster carers in Hampshire.
Fostering Hampshire Children, supported by My Foster Family, recently attended the second largest Mosque in Hampshire to meet with the community leader and build upon the relationship with the Muslim community in Hampshire. Imam Sayfullah Nasir welcomed Fostering Hampshire Children to the Bashir Ahmed Masjid (Portswood, Southampton) where he shared his knowledge of the Islamic faith, the Hampshire-based Muslim community, and how the Mosque can support Muslim and non-Muslim foster carers in looking after children of Muslim-heritage.
Imam Sayfullah will continue to work with Fostering Hampshire Children to raise awareness of the need for Muslim foster carers in Hampshire to look after children of Muslim-heritage in care. Together, we will continue to expand our support of foster carers and children in care, through peer-to-peer support services, cultural awareness and seek new and innovative ways the Mosque can support persons of all faiths looking after and children of Muslim-heritage in care.
