Foster Care Fortnight Coming to an End…

So here we are almost near the end of Foster Care Fortnight and so we thought we’d focus on the things that make us ‘Proud to be involved in Fostering’…

Fostering is the provision of parental care to a child other than your own. When children are taken into the care of the Local Authority, in many cases it is because a social care team has proved to a judge that the child is at risk of, or likely to be at risk of significant harm if they remain with their birth parents. Alternatively, parents can ‘accommodate’ their children under S.20 of the Children’s Act 1989 and place their children into the care of the Local Authority voluntarily. Thus, the children for whom we seek foster families are in foster care through no fault of their own, but because their parents are unable to provide a safe and stable environment within which they can thrive and flourish.

Children that come into care have inevitably suffered trauma, grief and loss and consequently, their behaviours can be challenging. They often have an insecure attachment style and do not trust the adults in their lives to treat them fairly or to be reliable.

So, it’s the role of our foster carers to provide security and stability and to model a different family life to our children and young people.  Fostering is a tall order, but with the right support and training, it can be done and it really does make a difference to these children’s lives.

Why are our Foster Carers Proud to Foster?

When we asked some of our Foster Carers why they were proud to foster this is what they said…

“I’m proud to foster because I know it makes a difference to peoples lives”

“I’m proud to foster because I was in care myself”

“I’m proud to foster because I’ve been doing it for over 10 years now and am still in contact with most of the looked after children I’ve cared for”

“I’m proud to foster because I care”

“I’m proud to foster because I love the job!”

Happy father and his little son planting a small tree