'At Mockingbird, I don't feel any different from other children'
At school, kids don't really understand why I say 'Monique and Erik' instead of 'Mom and Dad.' At Mockingbird, I don't have to answer any questions, and I don't feel any different. Nine-year-old Sterre* also finds the gatherings and numerous playdates especially enjoyable.
Sterre has been living with her foster parents, Monique and Erik, since the summer of 2024, and she will always live there. Before that, she lived with her grandmother, but due to circumstances, she could no longer stay with her. Together with professionals, she decided that a foster family would provide a good home for her granddaughter. Sterre also agreed with that decision.
Moving back to her foster parents meant Sterre had to change schools. She immediately became part of a Mockingbird network that had just launched. Sterre: "It took some getting used to moving here; there are a lot more rules. But I'm not shy at all, so I quickly made friends at school and at Mockingbird."
What is Mockingbird?
What if foster families weren't alone? What if they could rely on a support group of foster families around them?
That's Mockingbird . Foster families living near each other form a network, always with an experienced foster family at the center (foster family hub). By connecting foster families, they become stronger and are more successful in providing a loving and stable environment for foster children. The biological parents of foster children and the biological children of foster parents also play an important role in Mockingbird. And the foster children themselves? Thanks to Mockingbird, they experience that they're not alone. They make friends and have fun with other children going through the same things, so they don't have to explain anything to them. They can always turn to the other families in the network for a chat, a game, or a sleepover.
Mockingbird is there for foster children and their parents. This way, more children have a stable and loving environment to grow up.
"The other Mockingbird kids are really good friends of mine," she says happily. She sees her friends at least at the monthly meeting for all foster families, but usually more often. "We see each other in Waarder's living room," she begins. "There are lots of games there, and in the evenings we have a really delicious meal. This Saturday we're going to play bingo and have an American meal." She says she's already looking forward to making the children's tiramisu with foster mom Monique.
Completely zen
"I actually never want to go home after a Mockingbird gathering, I enjoy it so much. We usually stay a bit longer to help clean up and are the last to leave." Once home, Sterre is completely "zen," in Monique's words. "Yes!" Sterre exclaims, "I feel so peaceful and fall asleep." No wonder the question quickly arises: when is the next Mockingbird gathering?
The outings and playdates are a real treat. They love crafting at Hubhome foster parents Arianne and Arie's house. "We went to Monkey Town with all the Mockingbird families – it was so much fun! – and to JumpSquare, and we went bowling."
Feeling different as a foster child
Foster mother Monique says the teacher at school sometimes says: "For all the parents, and Monique and Erik for Sterre." "Well-intentioned, of course, but it does make a child feel different. That feeling of being different disappears completely with Mockingbird, and that's really nice."
And if Sterre had to describe Mockingbird in three words? After "fun," she had to think about it for a moment. "Helpful" and also "cheerful," she decided. "Arianne [the hubhome foster parent] will be staying here soon to look after me and the dogs. Monique and Erik will be away for a night because they've been married for twenty years. But that's still a surprise for Erik!"
*Sterre's name has been changed for privacy reasons.