‘We’re very glad we’ve done it’: the Liverpool couple who fostered more than 40 children
Over 23 years, Charles and Dianne Hubbert have fostered more than 40 children in their home in Croxteth, Liverpool.They have just retired, after being awarded an MBE for their services to foster care.The pair became interested in social care after working as adult support workers for people with special needs and learning difficulties, and seeing their neighbour fostering children.“I saw an advert for Barnardo’s looking for short-term breaks.Me and Charlie had a chat about it, and we chatted to the kids and I said: ‘I think this is something we could do’,” Dianne, 60, recalled.
“I just wanted to help families out by giving them a break.We put the kids in bunk beds and they had the little box bedroom.We knew from working with adults that families are crying out for this, that there’s a shortage of respite care.”The pair went to meetings and peer support groups organised by Barnardo’s, where they could meet other foster carers and families considering the process – a favour they later returned once they had experience.“You just learn bit by bit from other people,” said Charles, 75.
They also undertook a course about what to expect that was delivered by a social worker once a fortnight for over a year.“It’s a huge commitment,” said Dianne.Their daughter, 11 at the time, embraced the opportunity to meet new children, though their son, six, was initially more circumspect.“Our kids sort of grew up with them,” Dianne said.The family initially fostered for one weekend a month, along with extra days during summer holidays and half-term.
But after their daughter left home, they decided to become contract carers for Barnardo’s, receiving a salary,The charity built an extension to the house that would be fully adapted for children with disabilities,“We had a minibus with a wheelchair lift, and whenever we went from where we live to seaside resorts we took the kids with us if they weren’t in school,” said Charlie,“Many days we had kites tied to everyone,” added Dianne,She recalled one boy, who needed round-the-clock care from a nurse.
“He was lovely, he always had a smile on his face and he’d laugh,He was quite funny, he liked a bit of banter, he loved that,“I think we’ve had a good impact on them all, we’ve given them all a break and helped them all out,We were very friendly with the families, some of the children we had three or four years, maybe longer,”But she acknowledged there had been tough times: “Sadly we have lost a few children, who’ve been ill, or with complex needs.
”Charlie agreed that at times it had been “very, very hard”, but, “we’re very, very glad we’ve done it.We’ve got some lovely memories.”Dianne said families who were thinking about it should approach charities such as Barnardo’s for advice.“I think it’s the thought of going into the unknown for some families, what to expect – it’s not a 9-5 job, it’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week.That might be a bit of a shock to some people,” she said.
She added: “We couldn’t say ‘oh we just loved this one child’ because we’ve had that many, and they’ve all left a little bit of themselves here, and we’ve made a little bit of an impact on the lives of families.“It’s just been our life for 23 years.The kids were like part of our family.”
UK 10-year borrowing costs hit highest level since 2008, as Rachel Reeves’s fiscal headroom evaporates – business live
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The Bank of England plans to slash the “reporting burden” on UK banks and allow insurers to make riskier investments without initial approval, as it comes under government pressure to ease regulations introduced after the financial crisis.Sam Woods, a deputy governor at the Bank who leads its regulatory arm, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said the central bank has rowed back on rules that appeared to be “overcooked”, suggesting they may have gone too far and harmed the financial sector.However, Woods, who was speaking to members of the House of Lords financial services regulation committee on Wednesday, insisted he did not want to see a regulatory “race to the bottom”.Both the PRA and fellow City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority have come under renewed pressure to support UK growth by easing rules on the financial services sector. In November, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, ordered the watchdogs to encourage more risk-taking across the industry
Meta is getting rid of factchecking. If you want to leave Instagram, what are your alternatives?
Meta’s decision to end factchecking to prioritise “free speech” has prompted alarm among social media experts, as well as questions about the ethics of using its platforms such as Instagram.The company’s billionaire founder, Mark Zuckerberg, on Tuesday announced that the platforms’ factchecking program would be replaced with X-style “community notes”, a feature that allows users to add context to posts.More political content will be pushed on to Meta’s platforms – which also include Facebook and Threads – while certain restrictions will be removed for subjects including immigration and gender.But is it a reason to reconsider staying on these platforms? Here’s what you need to know.The decision affects just the US for now, but could expand to other jurisdictions
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman accused of sexual abuse by sister in lawsuit
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Baltimore Orioles announce death of ‘cherished teammate’ Brian Matusz at age of 37
The Baltimore Orioles have confirmed the death of their former pitcher, Brian Matusz, at the age of 37. The team did not give a cause of death.“Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole, Brian Matusz,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday night. “A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched. He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate, and always had a smile on his face
England’s Feyi-Waboso in dilemma over surgery for sake of Lions ambitions
England’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is still in two minds about whether to undergo a shoulder operation that could affect his chances of representing the British & Irish Lions this summer. The Exeter wing is scheduled to have surgery next week, which would rule him out of the Six Nations and complicate his dream of touring Australia with the Lions.Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, says the 22-year-old has not yet ruled out postponing the operation and can avoid recurring shoulder issues for the remainder of this season. A decision will need to be taken imminently, however, with Baxter suggesting extensive discussions between club and country are already delaying the process.If he has an operation next week on the shoulder he dislocated against Sale last month, Feyi-Waboso could be back playing again within three months, with plenty of time to prove his fitness, if selected, for the Lions who depart in June
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