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Craig is 47 and from Warrington, he has been a foster carer with Warrington Borough Council for 17 years.
Craig is a Mockingbird hub carer. The Mockingbird programme is an award-winning, sustainable foster carer model delivered by The Fostering Network. It sees a constellation of fostering households set up in a similar arrangement to that of an extended family, structured around the support and relationships that provides.
Warrington Borough Council introduced the programme in 2020 and there are now 3 Mockingbird constellations, supporting a total of 36 children and their foster carers to have an ‘extended family’ that they can rely on for advice, friendship and practical support.
Why did you become a foster carer and what attracted you to being a foster carer for Warrington Borough Council?
“Had thought about fostering for a long time, I approached Warrington Borough Council as I had no awareness of options such as fostering agencies however if I had known I would still have wanted to foster for the local authority.”
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family (e.g. any jobs you have, if you have a partner/birth children, what you like to do as a family)
“I’m a single gay man, I used to work as a teacher initially full time then part time but I now am a full time mockingbird hub carer.”
Have you fostered siblings? If you have, please share what it is like, why it is important to keep siblings together, the pros and cons etc.
“I have only once had siblings, it was quite challenging as their relationship was not great, and a decision to separate them was made.”
Have you permanently fostered a child (or is it something you would like to do in the future?) Please talk through your story and why it was right for your family and child/children. What are the pros and cons of permanent/long term fostering?
“I have fostered quite a few teenagers through to adulthood, and currently have a 21 year old who has been with me since he was 14. One lad lived with me from 12 to 25 and I was able to support him through university, he is now 28 and I am looking forward to attending his wedding next month in Finland. A third young man is now 25 but visits regularly for his tea, and now works for the council and has his own flat. Long term fostering allowed me to build up lifelong relationships with the now adults I have cared for and gives a great deal of satisfaction seeing how the young people progress and move into adult life.”
How do you find the support we give you? Do you have close relationships with other foster carers?
“The mockingbird project has meant I am part of a very supportive group, who I’ve got to know well. I have a fantastic supervising social worker who offers me all the support I need, and the children’s social worker is also very supportive.”
Alternatively, why not pop along to one of our Information Sessions? We have in-person Information Sessions and virtual Information Sessions.
Request an information pack to find out more about Fostering & how your Local Authority can help you.
