Barbie Howell from Norfolk receives an MBE for fostering over 150 children for 41 years, providing love and safety.
Barbie Howell’s mom passed away when she was just five. After that, she resided with friends for many years and eventually settled in a Stiffkey home.
The house had limited amenities, with only a cold tap in the kitchen. Barbie left school at 14 without any qualifications and began working as a nanny.
Later, she met her partner, Ben, and they had three children together as their family grew. When their youngest daughter was three months old, they began fostering.
Over the next 41 years, they gave over 150 children a safe bed. Her fostering earned her an MBE nomination, and some of the children she fostered wrote letters.
These letters helped her secure the award. Barbie said she has loved every minute of fostering, emphasizing that fostering is about love and joy.
She also mentioned that fostering came naturally to her and that foster parents receive training. Carlos lived with Barbie and Ben for 21 years and is now 40 years old.
He said he knew he was loved and felt like he lived in a different world before. Cllr Penny Carpenter said Barbie Howell is unique.
She represents the essence of fostering, as she and her family provided many children with a home. They made sure kids were happy and looked after, often going far beyond expectations.