THE founder and executive director of a Bromsgrove-based private fostering agency and leading children and families services provider has received an OBE from the Queen at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

Over the years Jan Rees has been a playgroup worker, a nursery work, a foster carer and adopter for Worcestershire County Council before helping to establish Foster Care Associates, the UK’s largest independent foster care agency, with her husband Jim Cockburn.

The agency was set up in 1994 and specialises in supporting thousands of children, young people and families with complex needs.

Jan Rees, who is also the executive director of Core Assets Children’s Services Group, is widely considered a pioneer in developing therapeutic foster care services and specialist support for children and families, not just in the UK but around the world.

She has also established a charity for care leavers called The Rees Foundation as well as endowed the Rees Centre, at the University of Oxford, which is dedicated to research to enhance best practice in foster care and education.

It is the first time that a foster carer and the fostering sector in general have been recognised in the honours at this level. Jan was joined by her husband Jim Cockburn to collect the honour from the Queen in a prestigious ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Jan said: “The whole experience has been quite overwhelming and very humbling. I want to use the recognition that this honour brings to raise the profile of the many unsung heroes in fostering and children’s services who feel as passionate as I do that we can make a positive and lasting difference to children, young people and families.”

Jan was nominated for the honour by her colleagues at Core Assets Children’s Services Group.

Sally Melbourne, CEO of Core Assets Children’s Services, said: “Jan’s strength of character, and self-belief that a child deserves the best foster care, drives her commitment to protecting vulnerable looked after young people, both during and after their time in care.

“She has always challenged convention in the best interest of those in her care to ensure the best outcomes, and has the very rare ability to inspire and encourage all those around her to reach their full potential. We’re all incredibly proud of her.”

Jan and Jim started their agency from a small office in Bromsgrove where they established their commitment to providing high quality fostering services for local authorities.

As their reputation grew, the business expanded throughout England, Northern Ireland and Scotland to eventually become the UK’s largest Independent Fostering Agency.

As their fostering services blossomed, they took the opportunity to apply the knowledge and the skills they had gained globally – expanding their services into America, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden.