Jay's Outstanding Contribution to Fostering

We are pleased to announce that Jay Nixon has been awarded a runner-up in The Fostering Network's Outstanding Contribution Award to Sons, Daughters and Family members.

As a family member of Julie and Robin in Kent, and growing up in fostering household for the most of their childhood, Jay is an active 14-year-old who loves spending time with their fostered siblings who have disabilities, complex medical needs and life limiting conditions.

Jay is an integral part of why the Nixon family is such a welcoming environment for foster children in need of both care and a loving family. As a big family, Jay has 5 older siblings, as well as an adopted brother who was originally fostered by the family. Jay has 3 fostered brothers from diverse backgrounds, each having multiple disabilities and complex medical needs; J and J, who are both 14, and K who is 11. Their conditions can be volatile, needing urgent medical intervention if unwell.

Jay is a happy positive young teenager with an enthusiastic and caring approach to life. They flourish in their family environment and should be recognised an inspiration and role model for young people everywhere. At such a young age Jay is already dedicated to improving their siblings' quality of life and making them feel part of the family, learning Alternative Communication methods such as Makaton signing to communicate with non-verbal children.

With their foster siblings having such complex needs, we decided to nominate Jay for their Outstanding contribution to Fostering for their resilience, supportive nature and mature outlook on life. Jay always puts their siblings' needs above all else and has never questioned when family plans change at short notice around their complex care. Despite school being highly important during lockdowns Jay entered a prolonged period of family isolation, far beyond the mandated lockdowns ordered, due to the need for the family to shield for the vulnerable siblings. 

We'd love to thank Jay for their part of the Nixon family's fostering journey. Along with their other siblings, they have been a huge part of changing the lives of the young people welcomed into the family, and it's fantastic to see Jay be recognised as a runner-up in this award!