Could you start your fostering story this Foster Care Fortnight?
We're calling for more people to come forward and find out about fostering, during The Fostering Network's annual Foster Care Fortnight. There is a need for more foster carers to care for all age ranges from babies to teenagers, for one child as well as sibling groups and for young people who have travelled alone from other countries to ours. We need people who can offer anything from a few days a month, short term placements and people who are willing to offer a permanent/forever home for children and young people. Could you be the family these children and young people need at a difficult time in their lives?
This year's theme is #WhyWeCare and the campaign aims to get everyone in the fostering community to tell the world why they care about fostering.
Ann, Gateshead Council foster carer, explains why she cares this Foster Care Fortnight:
"I genuinely have the child's best interests at heart and want the best for them. It's just the most rewarding experience."
Speaking about the support she receives from Gateshead Council Ann added: "The good thing about fostering is the amount of support you get is amazing really."
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their own family. Sometimes children stay with a foster family for a few days, while others stay for their entire childhood and beyond.
Foster carers make a significant difference in the lives of fostered children and young people, helping them to flourish and changing their future. There are different types of fostering, from short break to long term. All of which come with an extensive support package, high quality training/qualifications, a fostering fee and child allowance. Foster carers also have their own supervising social worker, support from the child's social worker and access to a wide range of specialist advice and support services.
Councillor Gary Haley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
"Our foster carers really are appreciated for the support they provide to the children and young people in their care. I never miss an opportunity to thank our foster carers for providing children with stability, warmth and support in their own homes. I am proud, every day, of the dedication of our foster carers, the fostering team and the wider children's service, in Gateshead. They all play an important part in making a difference to the lives of the children and young people, in Gateshead, who need our support.
"This Foster Care Fortnight I care about supporting our Fostering Service to achieve the very best for the children and young people who rely on them. I also encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to come forward and find out more. We know everyone's circumstances are unique and this means potential foster carers have different questions. By picking up the phone or joining one of our virtual events you can start to explore what life could be like for you as a foster carer with Gateshead Council."
If you live within a 20-mile radius of Gateshead and think you could offer the support, stability and care to help change a fostered child's future you can join a virtual information events, from the comfort of your own home. You don't need to make any commitment at this stage, it is just an opportunity for you to begin to think about whether you could start your own fostering story.
We're calling for more people to come forward and find out about fostering, during The Fostering Network's annual Foster Care Fortnight. There is a need for more foster carers to care for all age ranges from babies to teenagers, for one child as well as sibling groups and for young people who have travelled alone from other countries to ours. We need people who can offer anything from a few days a month, short term placements and people who are willing to offer a permanent/forever home for children and young people. Could you be the family these children and young people need at a difficult time in their lives?
This year's theme is #WhyWeCare and the campaign aims to get everyone in the fostering community to tell the world why they care about fostering.
Ann, Gateshead Council foster carer, explains why she cares this Foster Care Fortnight:
"I genuinely have the child's best interests at heart and want the best for them. It's just the most rewarding experience."
Speaking about the support she receives from Gateshead Council Ann added: "The good thing about fostering is the amount of support you get is amazing really."
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their own family. Sometimes children stay with a foster family for a few days, while others stay for their entire childhood and beyond.
Foster carers make a significant difference in the lives of fostered children and young people, helping them to flourish and changing their future. There are different types of fostering, from short break to long term. All of which come with an extensive support package, high quality training/qualifications, a fostering fee and child allowance. Foster carers also have their own supervising social worker, support from the child's social worker and access to a wide range of specialist advice and support services.
Councillor Gary Haley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
"Our foster carers really are appreciated for the support they provide to the children and young people in their care. I never miss an opportunity to thank our foster carers for providing children with stability, warmth and support in their own homes. I am proud, every day, of the dedication of our foster carers, the fostering team and the wider children's service, in Gateshead. They all play an important part in making a difference to the lives of the children and young people, in Gateshead, who need our support.
"This Foster Care Fortnight I care about supporting our Fostering Service to achieve the very best for the children and young people who rely on them. I also encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to come forward and find out more. We know everyone's circumstances are unique and this means potential foster carers have different questions. By picking up the phone or joining one of our virtual events you can start to explore what life could be like for you as a foster carer with Gateshead Council."
If you live within a 20-mile radius of Gateshead and think you could offer the support, stability and care to help change a fostered child's future you can join a virtual information events, from the comfort of your own home. You don't need to make any commitment at this stage, it is just an opportunity for you to begin to think about whether you could start your own fostering story.
