Granville Orange presented FFC foster carer Linda with a card and a bottle of champagne on behalf of the Directors last week, to congratulate her and her husband Peter on the fantastic news that they have had their placement made permanent.
The news is real cause for celebration for all the family - not just Linda's family but the FFC family too - as it cements and secures the long-term future for the boy who joined them when he was aged 11.
Placement permanency means that a child will stay with the same foster family until they reach adulthood, but that the child and their foster family will continue to receive the vital ongoing support provided from within the looked after system to help ensure the child attains the best possible outcomes. And this isn't just rhetoric - recent research into permanency within the foster care system shows that with the right level of ongoing support, children living in stable, long-term foster care have similar outcomes to those of adopted children (Biehal et al, 2010; Boddy, 2013).
We all wish Linda and her family all the very best for their future together.