The big W.I.S.H
With Intention Success Happens
If you could see someone being led to a cliff to take flight with no flight gear, no crew and no map, and you could give them one , would you?
Life-Line
I'm talking about
The Care Cliff
So many kids in care face their 18th birthday like walking towards a cliff edge.
With the thought that suddenly all their support systems could be gone, with an expectation of independence placed upon them and essentially left to step off into the unknown "grown up world". With the lived experience of these kids it can only feel like becoming an orphan all over again. This comes at a time when they actually need more support than ever. Without it, vulnerability, loneliness and lack of direction become a state of the heart and mind.
Are we setting them up to fail and fall? When in actual fact it wouldn't take much to help them fly.
adult
Want to help?
I know we can help these kids fly!
Did you know... being a care experienced person is becoming a protected characteristic in some councils but it’s not across the board.
Not everyone is as happy about this as I am. It might feel like a label, and not a good one, but as always I want to REFRAME it! Wear it like a badge of pride, an indicator of all the incredible skills we come with.
Adults who were once kids in care are like Liam Neelson in the film Taken - we have a special set of skills! We're often resourceful, rapid adapters and resilient beyond belief. We
These are our Superpowers!
Birkdale House - The Care Home I spent some of my childhood in
I truly believe that when you take those superpowers and add in reliable mentorship, a circle of support and a big old dose of self-belief, we can help these kids to soar into the clouds rather than fall of that cliff.
My big W.I.S.H is to nurture young people as they leave care homes and venture out into the big wide world with the Children's H.O.M.E Enterprise. We could catch these kids with a creative security blanket, and encourage them so they feel ready to fly the nest, with Hope, Opportunity, Mentorship and positive Energy.
Our first vision is to change the age that care experienced children are expected to be adults, because let's face it
adulting ain't easy!
Want to chat about how you can help us on this mission?
You could be the wind beneath the wings that a scared young person needs to fly.
Have you ever thought about fostering?
In the UK, we are currently at crisis point when it comes to recruiting foster carers.
In the last 5 years there has been a decrease in applications to apply to be a mainstream foster carer and the number of people applying to foster has decreased by 21% in the last four years with the numbers of children entering care continuing to increase.
The current number of children in care is over 82,000.
The amazing people who become foster carers welcome children into their home rather than going into formal car. This means they benefit from a home environment, routine and attention which can bring about massive changes in their wellbeing, confidence and long term life prospects. Having a loving foster family goes a HUGE way towards giving kids the lifelines they need to fly.
It’s challenging, rewarding and one of the most amazing things you can do to make a positive impact on society. If you want to find out more, this is a great place to start...