Jasmine & Anthony's Story: Mockingbird Hub

Jasmine (51) and Anthony (54) have been fostering for three and a half years.  They have no birth children of their own but have always enjoyed the company of children. Anthony was previously an HGV driver in the building industry.  Jasmine was a primary school teacher and felt that she got along well with the older children in her class and had a good rapport with them. The couple also cared for their 11 year old nephew for four and a half years, supporting him through his secondary school years. Jasmine explains that their reason for fostering was because  “we wanted to prove to the children in care that they are wanted”. Jasmine and Anthony recently spoke to us about the fantastic support that they have received from the Mockingbird Hub.

How do you benefit from the mockingbird hub?

Jasmine explains that the “incredible support network” is the main advantage of the mockingbird hub: “all the carers have similar aged children in their care so we can support each other as and when required, and everyone knows that they are not alone. The carers all meet up once a month to chat and to support each other.   As a fostering family we also meet up every couple of months with the children to attend some activities”.

“The local support is great, we have a support hub just 10 minutes down the road from us.  There is always someone to speak to over the phone”

Jasmine continues: “the local support is great, we have a support hub just ten minutes down the road from us.  There is always someone to speak to over the phone”. Jasmine and Anthony say that they also find it very useful to meet up with other carers when their foster children are at school and college so they have more freedom to discuss any issues or concerns without their children being present. 

“When the hub was first created none of the children knew each other but they have since got to be good friends.  They enjoy meeting up and it makes them feel ‘normal’ as they don’t like being labelled as looked after children”.

When the families within the hub do meet, the couple’s older girl acts like the mother hen of the group and likes to look after the other children!  Jasmine and Anthony live in a large house with a very big garden where all the hub children can play. Anthony remarks: “When the hub was first created none of the children knew each other but they have since got to be good friends.  They enjoy meeting up and it makes them feel ‘normal’ as they don’t like being labelled as looked after children. There are currently eight families within the hub with two workers that support all of the families”.

Why do you think the model works so well?

Jasmine feels that the support that the Mockingbird Hub brings is essential: “we all need it [support] from time to time”. When the couple were first approved as foster carers, Mockingbird wasn’t available,  Anthony worked away Monday to Friday and the couple found it quite a challenge to receive help with caring for the children. Jasmine explains that now “it’s so much better as the hub is there and all the carers support each other whilst knowing that the children are being cared for by people they know, not strangers”. The main hub carers live a ten minute drive from Jasmine and Anthony: “We always know there’s support available and we don’t feel like we’re imposing on anyone”.  The last activity organised by the hub for the children was go-karting which they “all loved” and now their foster son has continued go-karting as a hobby.

The hub is currently organising a trip to Alton Towers whilst the children in the hub are planning enterprise activities to help fund the trip.

To find out more about the fantastic Mockingbird Hub, click here.