My name is Denise, and I have been one of the 2 Mockingbird Home Hub Carers in Exeter for just over 2 years.
Mockingbird is an extended family model of support for fostering families. It creates a community where foster carers and children know they are never on their own. Rather than facing life’s challenges in isolation, we share the journey together and support one another through both the difficult days and the joyful ones.
Life as a Home Hub Carer for Denise
Denise is a Home Hub Carer for a constellation of 8 foster families and their birth and foster children. Denise is not simply a foster carer; she is central to the stability and success of our entire Mockingbird constellation. The level of support she provides to our families is exceptional and, irreplaceable. Without her, our network would struggle to function effectively.
She consistently goes far beyond the expectations of her role. Denise has, on numerous occasions, given up her personal time to support families in crisis—sitting with highly dysregulated children during evenings and weekends to ensure safety and provide reassurance when situations are at their most intense. This level of dedication has had a profound impact not only on individual children, but on the wellbeing of entire families.
I genuinely love being a Home Hub Carer – to me, it feels much more like being a grandparent. My home is a place where children and carers know they are always welcome. Over the last two years, I’ve learned that while part of my role is to support families through testing times, the real strength of Mockingbird lies in the everyday moments and the relationships we build.
As a Mockingbird ‘grandparent’ I also think it’s my job to spoil the children a little! Not with expensive things, but with time, laughter, adventures and memories. Sometimes that means building dens in the garden, baking cakes, having movie nights, or—just occasionally—having ice cream for breakfast! Childhood should be full of magic, and that is a large part of our aim.
Currently supporting 8 Mockingbird families, Denise brings a rare combination of professional expertise, calmness under pressure, empathy and compassion. She has an extraordinary ability to listen, to de-escalate, and to help carers and children reframe extremely challenging situations—even in moments following physical and verbal aggression. This skill is invaluable and not easily replicated.
Denise is, in every sense, the glue that holds this constellation together. Her wisdom, experience, and personal qualities have fostered trust, cohesion, and resilience across our extended family network. We rely heavily on her guidance and presence and on her tireless efforts in identifying exciting activites and outings for all of our carers and foster and birth children.
We hold self-funded social events every month and, if I’m honest, half the fun is the fundraising that makes them possible! These events give our families the chance to laugh together, relax, make new friendships and create lasting memories. They remind everyone that fostering doesn’t have to be a lonely journey.
Denise is tireless in her efforts to source access to activities beyond those which our funding would allow, including concerts, National Trust passes and fund raising whenever there is an opportunity. Her home is always open to the carers and children who belong to the constellation where they find a safe and warm welcome despite the circumstance.
Our children learn that dreams are possible and bite size steps are attainable.
One of our amazing 12-year-old girls proved exactly that. She had the idea that our whole constellation should go and see Lewis Capaldi in concert. For many of our children, attending a live music event had never even seemed possible. What started as one young person’s idea became a reality through determination, fundraising and the support of our Mockingbird family. Watching those children singing together and making memories they’ll never forget reminded me that inspiration doesn’t always come from adults. Sometimes our children show us exactly what’s possible when someone believes in them.
Her contribution is fundamental to the strength and continuity and success of her Mockingbird community.
My door is open to our families much of the time. Children regularly come to stay for a night or two, sometimes three, whenever a family needs a little extra support or simply a chance to recharge. One of the greatest privileges of this role is watching the children build genuine friendships with one another. Seeing them laugh together, grow in confidence and simply enjoy being children is incredibly rewarding.
Mockingbird isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. It works best when people are willing to become part of something bigger than themselves—when they’re prepared to both give and receive support. It’s about trust, openness, kindness and recognising that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. For me, Mockingbird has never just been about sleep overs or organised activities. It’s about creating a village around our children and carers. It’s about knowing that someone will always put the kettle on, answer the phone, lend a listening ear, celebrate the good days and stand beside you through the hard ones. It is also about the wider team working
If you are an existing Fostering Devon carer and are interested in learning more about future Mockingbird constellations, please contact the team.
You can also learn more about Mockingbird in Devon and the work the team do over on the Fostering Devon website.