Tameside’s Fostering Family celebrates long-service awards

LOCAL foster carers who open their hearts and homes to vulnerable children and young people were recently recognised for their passion, dedication, and being the difference to many.

Tameside Council hosted an awards event on Tuesday 4 November at The Restaurant, at Tameside College to show their appreciation for foster carers and thank them for how they truly put children at the heart of everything they do.

Awards were presented to 11 fostering households — a mix of respite, long-term, short-term and kinship carers — for their long-standing commitment to fostering. Their years of service ranged from 5 to an incredible 45 years, amounting to 20 individual foster carers being honoured.

A Special Recognition Award was presented to 75-year-old Jennifer Nash — a foster carer the service can always count on. Whether it’s responding to emergency callouts or offering to help outside of regular hours, Jen is always there. She consistently goes above and beyond, welcoming every child into her home with open arms and a warm heart.

When asked Jen said her favourite part about fostering is: “I love caring for the babies, and you get on their wave length.

“But then the moving them on in their journey to their forever home, which is horrible for me, for selfish reasons, but it’s lovely seeing the children want their forever home.”

Others were asked who their favourite fostering moment was and Karen, who has been fostering for 15 years and her son, Ryan said: “We have some many great memories but the one in particular that stands out is when the first time we fostered seeing the 5 year old boy come up the drive, kitted out in head to toe Thomas the Tank Engine and it was full snow and he came in and he was ready to play, that’s all he wanted straight away – he was so happy to be there, full of energy and life.”

Karen then went on to explain that: “He actually called us this morning, he still calls us mum and dad, and he’s 21 years old tomorrow.

“He came in the other day, and he doesn’t usually see Ryan at home, and he came in and went oh hello bro! He still phones me every other day.

“Fostering can be hard but it’s worth every single minute and I would tell people to not even think twice. Being a foster carer is a privilege.”

The event was a chance for foster carers to enjoy good food, come together as a community, and take part in a raffle with prizes donated by local organisations, including Bromley’s Solicitors, Ava Beauty, Holistic Healing, Team Sensible, Candy’s Cupcakes, and AN Wellness.

Right now, over 600 children in Tameside need that support and there are only around 80 foster carers, and more are urgently needed.

Anyone over 21, with a spare room, patience, and a kind heart, already has the essential qualities to make a meaningful difference in a child’s life. And if you’d like to foster a child under the age of two, you don’t even need a spare room.

Fostering children and young people within the borough helps provide stability during uncertain times, allowing them to remain close to familiar surroundings – including their schools, friends, and communities.

The council provides foster carers with full training, support throughout their journey, and an allowance.

Fostering is open to people from all walks of life, regardless of age, sexuality, gender, marital status, employment status, nationality, ethnicity, religious beliefs, education, or social background.

Fostering can be flexible as there are various fostering opportunities to suit different schedules, lifestyles, and employment commitments.

Types of fostering can include short-term, long-term, specialist, emergency and respite fostering.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said: “Our foster carers give children and young people in care the very best start in life — offering not just a roof over their heads, but a place they can truly call home. We couldn’t be more grateful for their dedication and compassion.

“It’s so important that we take the time to recognise and celebrate our foster carers for the love, kindness, and support they give every single day — they absolutely deserve it.

“Foster carers are invaluable. They make life-changing differences in the lives of children, and we need more people like them. If you’re thinking about fostering or even just have a question, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

For more information, call 0300 303 0321, email enquire@fosterforgm.com, or visit www.fosterforgm.com/tameside