The Muslim Fostering Network
The Muslim Fostering Network: Refugees & Vulnerable Children in the UK
BCBN, in association with The City Circle presented a panel discussion on “The Muslim Fostering Network: Refugees & Vulnerable Children in the UK” on the 18th of March, 2016.
Children arriving to the UK from Syria and other war-torn Muslim countries are being placed into the care of families of other faiths or none. Invariably any family that provides shelter, security and care to vulnerable children should be congratulated and praised for this virtue. Children are however faced with an uphill battle of trying to quickly integrate into a family and often a wider community, this is all the more challenging when foster parents are of another culture, speak a different language or have dissimilar culinary and customary habits. At best it can lead to swift assimilation into a new home, but on the contrary it can result in a complete loss of connection with their religious and cultural identity.
This challenge of starting a new life in a new country without one’s own relatives, would naturally be easier if children were placed into the care of those who shared aspects of their background, language and culture.
The foster network is the UK’s leading fostering charity. We are passionate about the difference foster care makes to children and young people. We are the essential network for foster care, bringing together everyone who is involved in the lives of fostered children, inspiring, motivating and supporting them to make foster care better. Together, we’re a powerful catalyst for change, influencing and shaping fostering policy and practice at every level.
The City Circle is an open circle for open minds where individuals are pushed to think outside the box. It provides a safe space for communities to self-critically discuss and debate issues that concern them. We are an independent and inclusive space.
Mercy Mission UK is currently running the largest initiative in the country to help deal with the fostering crisis facing Muslim children. With thousands of Muslim children lacking access to Muslim homes and thousands more expected to come from Syria and Iraq in the coming months, it is essential we as a British Muslim community build capacity. Mercy mission UK has a team of dedicated team members which research, define, refine and incubate innovative community development projects. Our expertise is in developing projects in education and social service sectors, creating ideas and developing the foundations of successful community empowerment. Since 2007 we have pioneered some ground breaking projects helping thousands of vulnerable people.
PAC UK is the largest independent adoption support agency in the country. PAC-UK exists to improve the lives of families and individuals people affected by adoption and other forms of permanence are supported and enabled to live their lives to the full.
During this presentation, in partnership with The City Circle, we will examine why the rates of Muslim families fostering children are so woefully low, when caring for orphans is an elementary Islamic principle. There is undoubtedly a shortfall in the number of Muslim families joining the adoption and fostering network. More Muslim foster carers and adoptive parents are needed. Join us and our panel for an evening of dialogue and discussion.
Speakers:
Franca Brenninkmeyer, PAC-UK – The Agency for Adoption and Permanency Support.
Franca has over 25 years of professional adoption experience and has worked at PAC-UK since 1996. Franca was instrumental in developing PAC-UK’s assessments and intensive therapeutic interventions for adoptive families. She has Master degrees in Pedagogical Sciences and Counselling Psychology from Belgium and the UK
Tony Round, The Fostering Network – The UK’s leading fostering charity
Tony is the Head of Fundraising at The Fostering Network but has been working to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people ever since he moved in to the charity sector from business ten years ago. Aside from The Fostering Network, Tony has worked for organisations such as Young Enterprise and The Prince’s Trust where he first became involved with refugees and asylum seekers as the regional lead for the East Midlands, building up strong links with local religious institutions.
Sheikh Asad, Imam and Foster Carer
Sheikh Asad is an Imam at Birmingham Central Mosque who has memorised the Holy Quran, and is a graduate of Islamic Theology and Arabic. He is the CEO of Association of Muslim Supplementary Schools, a Shariah Council Panellist and Deputy Head of an Islamic Primary School in Birmingham. Sheikh Asad will be talking to us today on the Islamic perspective of Fostering and Adoption. As a foster carer of two children, he will also be sharing his experience and insight as a foster parent.
Azim Kidwai, Mercy Mission UK
Having started a career in the civil service, navigating through the ranks of CESG, the Home Office and finally the Department of Health, Azim Kidwai plunged into a career in the third sector in 2009. Joining Mercy Mission UK (a community development organisation,) as a General Manager, Azim has been able to launch some leading community programs through the organisation. In 2009 he launched Ramadan TV, in 2011 he launched the National Zakat Foundation, in 2013, he also launched Charity Right UK, and in 2015 he launched the latest Mercy Mission initiative, the Muslim Foster Network.
