30th September 2024
Foster carers from across Northern Ireland gathered together at the weekend for the Northern Ireland Foster Care Awards, a ceremony co-hosted by HSC NI Foster Care and The Fostering Network.
Now in its eighteenth year, the Awards recognise the critical role foster carers have in providing stability, love and care for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. A number of HSC NI foster carers and kinship foster carers received special recognition for their outstanding contribution to fostering.
Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director of Children’s Community Services who represented HSC NI Foster Care at the event said: “The Foster Care Awards gives us an opportunity to celebrate our fostering community in Northern Ireland and recognise the contribution that foster carers make to the lives of our children and young people.
By providing safe and nurturing home environments, foster carers are helping to transform lives; giving children and young people a chance to build their confidence, develop their talents and be ambitious for their future. We hope this event goes some way to showing foster carers how much we value them, and appreciate the kindness and support they show children and young people every single day.”
Director of The Fostering Network Northern Ireland, Kathleen Toner, said: “It is a true honour to be able to recognise these incredible foster carers and kinship carers in this way. Every winner has gone above and beyond for the children and young people in their care, and I hope they are really proud of themselves.
“Being foster carers and kinship carers isn’t always easy, it’s a 24-hour job, so I would like to say thank you to the winners, and all foster and kinship carers, for their hard work and dedication. You are an integral part of our fostering communities and we are so grateful for the work you do.”
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Excellence in Foster Care – Gail and Stephen Hill from the Belfast area
L-R: Eimear Hanna, Head of Service for Fostering & Adoption; Nikki Gregg, Assist. Director, The Fostering Network NI; Ashleigh & Stephen Hill, foster carers; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services
Gail and Stephen Hill from Belfast were awarded the ‘Excellence in Foster Care’ Award. The couple have been fostering for eight years. The first child they looked after, who they have now adopted, was just six weeks old. Since then, they have fostered 10 other children and are currently fostering a toddler and a baby.
Gail and Stephen say fostering is incredibly rewarding and one of the greatest joys is being able to return children to their birth families.
They are attuned to the needs of each child in their care. In one instance, a child was going to live with their grandparents, and Gail and Stephen were pillars of support to the family in the time leading up to their move. They invited the grandparents over to their home, showed them around Belfast and ensured a safe and smooth transition for the child.
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Excellence in Foster Care – Barbara Caldwell from the Northern area
L-R: Julie Bell, Head of Service for Fostering; Nikki Gregg, Assist. Director, The Fostering Network NI; Barbara Caldwell, foster carer; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services
Barbara was a foster carer alongside her husband Brian for almost 30 years, before he sadly passed away last year. After a short break, Barbara – who is a retired neonatal and pediatric nurse – continued fostering and welcomed a one-year-old into her home in May 2023. The little boy has a number of health conditions, however he is thriving under Barbara’s care.
Barbara is still in regular contact with many of the children and young people that she and Brian cared for. She is registered with the adult disability service so she could offer continued support for a young woman she used to foster.
Barbara is dedicated to the children and young people she cares for, supporting them to grow and learn.
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Lifetime Achievement Award – Diane and Pat McCourt from the Northern area
L-R: Julie Bell, Head of Service for Fostering; Nikki Gregg, Assist. Director, The Fostering Network NI; Diane & Patrick McCourt, foster carers; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services
Pat and Diane have been foster carers for 45 years, dedicating much of their lives to providing complex care to children with complex needs. Many of the children they provided care for are still a part of their family today.
After an incredible commitment to fostering, providing a huge amount of love and care, they have made the difficult decision to retire. Earlier this year, in June, they were awarded and MBE for services to foster care by King Charles, and were placed on the King’s honour list.
Pat and Diane recently attended the wedding of one of the young people they cared for, who asked Pat to walk her down the aisle.
As these two wonderful foster carers come to the end of their fostering journey, they advise others who are considering fostering to give it a go. They said: “Fostering is lots of fun! We did things we wouldn’t otherwise have done. It has kept us young.”
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Excellence in Foster Care – Anne Veitch from the South Eastern area
L-R: Kathleen Toner, Director of The Fostering Network NI; Nuala Hanna, Head of Service for Fostering; Anne Veitch, foster carer; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services; Shaween Brown, Anne’s supervising social worker
Anne has been a foster carer for 18 years, providing countless short breaks to children and young people who need support. She’s incredibly warm and funny, with a love for art and animals – which has helped her form and grow meaningful relationships with children, young people as well as their wider family and teams.
Anne has been providing short breaks for two girls who are now teenagers for ten years. They have experienced a lot of loss and have been going through grief in their own lives. Anne has been a safe and steady base for them throughout their care experience. The girls love staying with Anne, enjoying movie nights in front of the fire as well as day trips.
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Special Recognition Award – Ashleigh and John Marshall from the South Eastern area
L-R: Kathleen Toner, Director of The Fostering Network NI; Nuala Hanna, Head of Service for Fostering; Ashleigh & John Marshall, foster carers; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services
Ashleigh and John care for a five-year-old who requires round-the-clock care and support for all elements of his life, including eating and breathing.
Ashleigh became aware through the young boy’s circumstances through work and expressed an interest in caring for him. While John was daunted at first, they both created a strong bond with the boy. The couple were initially told he would never leave hospital or reach the age of two, however they’ve been able to take him to Legoland to meet Santa and have taken him on an aeroplane.
It is really challenging for Ashleigh and John when M has to go to hospital for periods of time, but they described him as their centre, and that caring for him is the best thing they have ever done. They have a good relationship with the boy’s birth parents. They are now taking the steps to formally adopt him.
The couple’s social worker David Campbell nominated them both for the award. He said: “Getting M out and about can be very difficult, but John and Ashleigh have shown that it isn’t impossible and the love and care they give him is incredibly admirable.”
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Excellence in Foster Care – Mary and John McGrane from the Southern area
L-R: Kathleen Toner, Director of The Fostering Network NI; Geraldine Mulholland, Head of Service for Fostering & Adoption; Mary & John McGrane, foster carers; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director for Children’s Community Services
Mary and John started caring for two siblings shortly after they became approved as foster carers. They are now adults and Mary and John are still heavily involved in their lives – a huge moment of pride for them was when the young man got married and qualified as a barrister.
They’re currently caring for two children. The couple are advocates for fostering, with Mary carrying around leaflets in her bag to hand out to people and is involved in leading foster carer support groups. The couple are keen to see more people considering fostering and encourage others to take the leap and give it a go.
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Excellence in Foster Care – Maggie Crawford from the Western area
L-R: Kathleen Toner, Director of The Fostering Network NI; Maggie Crawford, foster carer; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Director of Children’s Community Services; Catherine McKevitt; Head of Service for Fostering
Maggie is described by her fostering social worker, Lynn, as “the very best of what it means to be a foster carer”. She continues to have strong relationships with the previous children and young people she cared for and loves it when they pop in for dinner and bring their own children. She explains she wants her home to be a “safe haven” for them.
The most difficult moments for Maggie are when the young people are struggling with their sense of self-worth and feel they have no value. She creates a safe and secure environment and communicates to them that they are so valuable. She advocates for them at every turn and lets them know she is in their corner.
Lynn said: “Maggie approaches each child with a deep sense of understanding, ensuring that they feel valued and heard. This individualised attention helps children rebuild their trust in adults and develop a sense of security.”
