Derry couple win Young Foster Carers of Excellence Award

In their seventeenth year, the awards recognise the pivotal role foster carers have in providing stability, love and care for children and young people in foster care. 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 Northern Ireland Foster Care Awards provides an opportunity for us to celebrate the enormous contribution that all foster carers make to the lives of our children and young people.

“We are delighted to have so many HSC NI foster carers receiving the recognition they deserve. Their continued commitment to providing the best care and support for children and young people in foster care is quite simply inspirational, thank you to each and every one of them.

“Our foster carers are all extraordinary people, giving of themselves every day to provide a safe, loving and nurturing environment to the children and young people who need this. We hope this event goes some way to showing how much we value our carers and appreciate the work they do and the kindness they show every day.”

Kathleen Toner, Director of The Fostering Network Northern Ireland, said: “The awards are the absolute highlight of our year when we get together with people from fostering families, and fostering services, across NI to highlight the incredibly positive impact of foster care. Fostering a child can be transformational for that child and we are privileged to support more than 3,300 foster carers and kinship foster carers in Northern Ireland, who care for more than eighty percent of children in care.”

“As chair of the awards panel, it is always a pleasure to meet the nominees and listen to their experiences, each one as inspiring as the next. The awards are also our opportunity to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of foster care for children in our communities and to thank all those who daily make a child feel safe, secure and loved.”

Sinead Harley and Aaron Deehan from the Western area won the Young Foster Carers of Excellence Award. A spokesperson said: “They are a kind and caring couple, offering their home for as long as a child or young person needs it for. During the pandemic they stepped in and offered several young people a short-term home. They took in two young males, one of whom remains with them to date. He has thrived under their care and has a bright future ahead of him – he achieved the equivalent of seven GCSEs, attends boxing, loves walking with the family and is learning to cook.

“Sinead and Aaron have achieved incredible things working in partnership with young people and professionals to ensure those in their care have best possible opportunities in life. Their daughter, who is now three, is a big part of fostering and enjoys the company of the young people who have come to stay.”

With an increase in the number of children and young people coming into care, the need for more foster carers is greater than ever. For more information Call HSC NI Foster Care on 0800 0720 137 or visit adoptionandfostercare.hscni.net