Emdad

For over two decades, Emdad has championed fostering across diverse communities, breaking down misconceptions and inspiring others to open their homes. Read his story below:

“I started working with Tower Hamlets Council in January 2001 in my current role as a Community Resource Officer. Before joining, I was a foster carer for Tower Hamlets Council and deeply involved in social, cultural, and literary community work. While working with various ethnic communities, I noticed that most people were not aware of actual fostering. Instead, they held negative misunderstandings and so many misconceptions, along with negative attitudes towards social workers and social services.

“Voluntarily, my wife and I began raising awareness and motivating people towards fostering. Luckily, at that time Tower Hamlets Council advertised for this role; with my sincere interest, I was fortunate to get the job, and I am still carrying it out with full dedication.

“My main role is to promote fostering within wider communities by working with imams and mosques, vicars and churches, community leaders and community centres, GP surgeries, corporate and community events, children’s centres, existing foster carers, and through one-to-one discussions with influential community leaders – to encourage people to consider fostering. I also provide initial and simple information on fostering and related issues to interested people.

“Foster carers appreciate supervision, encouragement to develop their parental skills within the legal framework, a better understanding of the fostering system and their role, advice on personal or family issues, and assistance to complete various trainings and IT skills. Actually, foster carers like to trust the social worker as their most “trustworthy professional friend.”

“For my outstanding contributions towards raising awareness and motivating ethnic communities to consider fostering, I was awarded an MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. My wife and I were also awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2023 for being foster carers and promoting fostering within the wider community. It’s an award shared by many respected public figures, such as members of the Royal Family, Nelson Mandela, and Harry Kane, and being recognised in this way made us – and our families, relatives and friends – incredibly proud. It also strengthened our connection to our communities and to the work we do every day.

“I always say that fostering is not an attractive item to buy; it’s a commitment to look after a vulnerable child. That’s why it’s so important to consider what fostering might mean for you, your family, and your wider support network. Taking time to read, discuss, and understand the role helps you feel prepared, because you’ll be parenting a child who has experienced separation and may need extra patience and reassurance. I’m always happy to offer free, informal chats to anyone exploring fostering. Fostering, like parenting, can be one of the most challenging roles you’ll ever take on, but when things begin to click and you see a child thrive, it truly becomes one of the most rewarding.

“Many foster carers I know often talk about holidays or important trips, like going on a pilgrimage or visiting family abroad. Whenever these plans come up, I always encourage them to speak with their social worker early on. It’s never a problem to ask, in fact, it means you’ll get the right guidance and professional advice to make sure everything is safe, appropriate and in the child’s best interests”