Mockingbird programme looks to help more vulnerable children find a foster home in Sunderland

Minster for Children, David Johnston, has been seeing for himself the "brilliant work" being carried out by foster families in Sunderland as part of the Mockingbird project to hopefully attract more carers to meet the shortfall in homes for in care children.

There are currently 1,500 foster families in the North East with over 6,000 children currently in care and needing the security of a loving home and family environment.

Worryingly, the last year has seen a 33% reduction in the number of families volunteering to be foster carers.

With a perception of isolation being one of the potential barriers to people coming forward, the Mockingbird initiative is designed to provide peer support and an "extended family" environment with other foster families and the support of an experienced foster carer.

Each Mockingbird 'constellation' consists of between six and ten foster families with a maximum of 18 children centred around a foster hub home.

The North East is currently pioneering the project with £8m having been invested by the Government into creating constellations at selected local authorities, including 12 here in the North East.

Sunderland currently has four constellations supporting 25 families and today (March 1) Mr Johnston went to visit some of the foster carers and their children at a Mockingbird hub in Houghton-le-Spring.

He said: "I've been here today to see the brilliant Mockingbird programme which is all about helping foster carers in the vital role that they do.

"Foster carers open their homes and their hearts in the vital role that they do and this is all about the Government funding a programme to support these foster carers to network with each other so that they in turn can support these vulnerable children.

"Being here in Sunderland today, it has been brilliant to see it in action. I have seen just what a difference this makes to vulnerable children's lives but also how much foster carers really value and love the experience they have with these children.

"We are hoping that by looking at how Mockingbird has worked here in the North East that we will have found a really successful programme to improve recruitment and retention of foster carers and then see a lot more of this programme across the country."

Two foster parents to benefit from the programme are Amy and Craig who are currently sharing their home with two foster children and their biological children.

The couple started fostering in November (2023) and had begun to question if they were "doing the right thing", but following the support they've received as part of the programme they're now thriving and enjoying the experience.

Craig said: "We do get outside support from family and friends but unless you have been involved in fostering you don't have that same understanding, particularly regarding some of the traumatic backgrounds many of these children have been through.

"Being part of Mockingbird you can speak to people who have been in or are in the same situation who can reassure you that what you are doing is correct.

"It's great just to have someone to talk to as I know other foster carers outside the project who can feel isolated.

"The children and families get to know each other really well and we can offer each other emergency support if a child needed to go to hospital.

"Say we got invited to a family wedding and we didn't think one of the children would cope, you can arrange for them to have a sleep over."

Amy added: "The constellation is just like getting support from your extended family. It's great just knowing there are carers in the same situation who you can ask for help and provide each other with some company.

"We had been questioning our judgement, but joining Mockingbird has been really beneficial and has brought us an all together better experience."

The Mockingbird hub home hosts a range of events for both the constellation parents and children, including coffee mornings, parties, children's gardening as well as organising trips to the beach and local attractions.

Overseen by an experienced foster carer, the hub host can also offer expert advice and training as well as practical guidance for accessing the correct support.

Mockingbird hub home carer for Houghton is Jane, who has 20 years of fostering experience and has cared for 35 children.

She said: "Mockingbird is a shared experience where we can support each other. The challenges people are facing are ones I've experienced myself.

"It's based on the model of an extended family and what's important is improving outcomes for children."

In the last four years the Government has invested £36m to help increase the shortfall in foster care and by March 2025 Mr Johnston has plans for over 200 constellations across England.

He said: "We need more people to realise the incredible impact they can have if they act as foster carers.

"We know that foster carers can stop children going into care homes, which is really important because too often the outcomes for children in care homes is not good enough.

"If they can be with foster carers then they can really have better outcomes."

Amy added: "I definitely think the support offered by the Mockingbird programme can help encourage more people to take up the role of foster carers." Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer can find out more on the Foster with North East website.