Evaluation of the Mockingbird programme

We have been asked to evaluate the Mockingbird programme is part of the Department for Education (DfE) funded Supporting Families: Investing in Practice programme, which is expanding and rolling out promising interventions that came through the DfE’s Innovation Programme.

The Mockingbird programme is delivered by The Fostering Network. It is an innovative method of foster care using the Mockingbird Family Model, which is an extended family model that provides sleepovers and short breaks, peer support, regular joint planning and training, and social activities.

This evaluation aims to assess the impact of the Mockingbird programme on placement stability (as measured by the rate of unplanned placement endings), on foster carer retention (as measured by the rate of de-registration of foster carers), and on changes in well-being of children in care (as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire).

The seven new sites funded to roll-out the Mockingbird programme, taking part in this evaluation are:

Barnsley Council;
Cheshire East Council;
Sheffield City Council;
South Tyneside Council;
Wakefield Council;
Warrington Borough Council;
Together4Children Regional Permanency Partnership (Shropshire Council, Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Telford & Wrekin Council

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