Shining a light on the fostering community's powerful relationships

Foster Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council's fostering service, is encouraging people in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas to consider becoming foster carers this Foster Care Fortnight (12-25 May).

Throughout the two weeks, Foster Portsmouth will be joining others across the UK to celebrate the fostering community, raise awareness of the life-changing impact fostering can have, and highlight the urgent need for more loving foster families in and around the city.

Foster Portsmouth marked the start of the fortnight by lighting up the Spinnaker Tower in their brand colours and are flying their flag outside the Civic Offices for the duration.

They will also be holding their spring drop-in foster carer recruitment event on Saturday 24 May between 10am-1pm at the Holiday Inn, Farlington as Foster Care Fortnight draws to a close.

Councillor Nick Dorrington, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council, said:

"The drop-in event will enable people, who wish to find out more about fostering and our ‘team around the child’, to talk directly to existing foster carers about the rewards of fostering children and young people."

"Our fostering community is one of our key strengths. As a ‘small but mighty’ not-for-profit fostering service, we get to know our foster carers and the children or young people in our care, and they’re able to stay close to their families, friends, schools and community links."

"As a result, we’re able to build a strong close-knit community spirit, and our foster carers collaborate closely with social workers and the professionals involved in a child’s care and development."

The theme of this year's Foster Care Fortnight is 'the power of relationships'. This highlights the vital connections at the heart of fostering.

Strong, trusting relationships are the golden thread that runs through every fostering story. Whether it’s the bond between a foster carer and a child, the support of social workers, the friendships built within fostering communities, or the connections with birth families, these relationships shape lives, create stability, and open up new possibilities for the future.

The bonds formed with foster carers help children and young people grow and thrive. Foster carers play a crucial role in providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children and young people - many of whom have faced difficult or traumatic experiences.

At the centre of many of these relationships within Foster Portsmouth is their Mockingbird programme, a unique approach to supporting foster families. This sees up to 10 households create their own support networks, through a dedicated foster carer at a hub home. This approach has led to stronger, more resilient foster families, who are not just supported by professionals, but their own communities.

Rachel Day, a foster carer in Portsmouth has directly benefited from this model. She said:

“Mockingbird has created a community that feels like a family. Carers can build positive relationships and friendships with each other. Children and young people are given a sense of belonging where they are not the only child in our care.”

“This support encourages carers to socialise with their families, to get outdoors and experience fun times together, creating positive memories that children and young people will remember.”

However, more foster carers are urgently required in and around Portsmouth. 6,000 more are currently needed across the UK, with 820 of these needed in the South East. This shortage leaves too many children without the local homes they need to stay close to family, friends, school and clubs.

There is a particular need for foster carers to look after teenagers and sibling groups. Fostering services are working hard to find and recruit the foster carers they need locally to look after these children.

Portsmouth City Council is also spotlighting the team that supports foster families during Foster Care Fortnight. Social care practitioners work with groups of foster families within their community, alongside a lead carer. This distinctive approach aims to strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for children and young people in care.

Stronger Futures, the children's social care recruitment campaign, is celebrating Mockingbird liaison workers as they share their experiences from working in the community and the advantages of the Mockingbird model.

Councillor Dorrington continued:

"As we celebrate the remarkable work of our Mockingbird liaison workers, we're highlighting the exceptional support they provide to foster families. Their commitment and the innovative approach of the Mockingbird model focus on building stronger relationships.

Portsmouth City Council is proud to recognise these outstanding individuals during this fortnight, alongside our wonderful foster families and carers."

People can drop-in to the event on Saturday 24 May at the Holiday Inn, Farlington anytime between 10am and 1pm.

To enquire now about fostering with Foster Portsmouth, people can fill in their contact form at www.foster.portsmouth.gov.uk/enquire-now, they can call 0300 1312797 or they can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information on Stronger Futures and careers in fostering, please visit www.strongerfutures.co.uk/fostering.