Community Stalls Marking Foster Care Fortnight
Hounslow Council's theme for this year is The Power of Relationships
The borough fostering team. Picture: Hounslow Council
May 14, 2025
To mark this year’s Foster Care Fortnight, Hounslow Council is setting up a series of stalls across the borough where those curious about fostering and becoming a carer can find out more about changing a young person’s life.
The fostering team will be hosting at least one community stall a day across the borough between Monday 12 May and Monday 26 May.
In line with the theme, The Power of Relationships, foster carers have also spoken about what relationships matter most to them.
Among them was Eithne Bhui, the ‘Hub Carer’ within Hounslow’s Mockingbird constellation, a simple scheme where a group of fostering families build relationships with each other. She said, “Often, children in care are not allowed to have sleepovers for instance, so the eight families in my constellation can come together in my home and get to do activities, enjoy social events like coffee mornings and meet to go out to the local park with the children so they can start to get to know each other.”
Councillor Samia Chaudhary, Cabinet Member for Education, Children, Skills, and Employment at Hounslow Council, added, “When I talk to foster carers in Hounslow it’s clear they benefit from feeling part of a larger supportive community. Our Mockingbird constellation epitomises that sense of belonging, acts to provide the children with a priceless sense of extended family and helps to share best practise. I’d urge anyone thinking about fostering to find out more and speak to us about what it can offer you.”
Foster Carers in Hounslow are also benefitting from an improved allowance and support package that has risen 44% across the board and is higher for carers of children with complex needs. Hounslow’s foster carers can now earn from £474 to £899 a week depending on the needs of the child or children. This includes the fostering allowance for each foster child, which covers their day-to-day care and a professional fee, serving as an income payment for their efforts.
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