[This course will take you approximately 45 mins to complete.]

You might have heard about the Mockingbird Family Model during your career as a foster carer, and wondered what it was. Initiated by the Mockingbird Society in the USA, the programme has been implemented and supported in the UK by The Fostering Network since 2015. Although it is not yet available everywhere in the UK, this course will provide you with an overview of the model and its benefits.

The Mockingbird Family Model aims to produce a connected network of foster care homes linked to one central, expert foster care home. This structure seeks to create a sense of an extended family and support. The aim is to establish a more stable environment for foster children and provide foster carers with more consistent support.

The objectives of this course are for you to:
- Understand what the Mockingbird Family Model is
- Comprehend its structure of support
- Understand its effects on children’s outcomes and foster carers
- Learn how to incorporate some of the Mockingbird benefits into your fostering practice if the programme is not yet available at your fostering service.