0800 085 2225
The FCA Story
Starting off life in the West Midlands, FCA has grown from a small office in Bromsgrove to become a multi-national organisation positioned as the UK’s leading independent fostering agency.
The brainchild of Jim Cockburn and Jan Rees, FCA was born out of the desire to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people who find themselves living in the UK’s care system.
The unswerving motivation of these two individuals has remained on par throughout the history of FCA. The story of FCA’s success is remarkable and while its rapid growth pattern may well suggest a shift in focus, the organisation continues to place the needs of the looked after child firmly at the centre of what it does.
In 1994, Jim and Jan set out on a journey to bring about positive change and shape a better future for some of society’s most troubled youngsters. Jan, a former foster carer and Jim, an experienced social worker recognised the need to introduce a quality foster care service to give the most challenging foster child the opportunity to experience living in a stable and supportive family unit.
Jim and Jan launched what is referred to as ‘team parenting’ - a new and innovative model of practice based on the integration of support services. This approach was set to change fostering and its success can only be measured by the number of positive outcomes FCA has achieved for hundreds of children and young people in its care.
‘Team parenting’ is all about shared practice. It’s about working as a team and identifying the individual needs of each foster child. Working as a unit, providing 24 hour support and ensuring the foster child, foster carer and a network of professionals are joined up in their thinking and honest in their appraisal.
Following FCA’s early success, Jim and Jan continued to look to the future, seeking out new ways to develop the organisation and build on its success.
By 2002 FCA Ltd was established and operations in Northern Ireland and Scotland were opened. A major milestone in the history of FCA was its move into the Republic of Ireland in 2005 and the set up of a sister agency, Fostering First Ireland.
By now, FCA had the infrastructure and reputation to move further a field and make its mark on the international scene. In collaboration with organisations across the globe, the agency shared its unique ‘team parenting’ practice with like-minded professionals in Australia, New Zealand, Finland and Sweden.
