As ‘Foster Care Fortnight’ continues, more village residents are being encouraged to come forward to see if fostering could be right for them. Foster carers, social workers and staff from Nottinghamshire County Council’s fostering service have come together this year to share their own messages of #WhyWeCare.
The two week campaign, which began on May 10th, aims to spread the message in Ruddington and beyond that further foster carers are needed for children who are in care. According to The Fostering Network charity, every 20 minutes another child comes into care needing a foster placement in the UK, and every day there are about 65,000 children living with 55,000 foster families. Here in Nottinghamshire alone there are over 950 children in care, and our County Council has 275 fostering households.
Sarah, who is a foster carer in Ruddington, says: “We foster because we feel we have something worthwhile to care for. Sometimes it can be for a short period of time, working to support birth parents when they need it, at other times we move children on to adoption or special guardianship. Quite often, those children have stayed in our lives and we have been able to see them grow and flourish with their new families which is always joyful. Some of the children stay with us as long term placements so we get to see them grow in confidence and security first hand.”
Sarah adds: “Being a foster carer means that you go through a range of experiences and emotions and each one is an experience to grow from. You get to work with many professionals who are focused on achieving the best outcomes for the children they are involved with. There are constant opportunities to learn and grow and support can be found from many sources. We never feel that we have learned everything we need to know as each child comes with their own specific needs and characteristics.”
Foster carers for Nottinghamshire County Council receive weekly payments, benefits, support from their supervising social worker, and training with an emphasis on therapeutic foster care – to ensure that every foster carer is equipped with the best techniques possible to help the children in their care.
The authority promises that each foster carer will remain supported at all times – and can always find help with questions and concerns if they need it, including an out of hours phone number, so they’re never alone. The fostering team and foster carers are appealing to anyone who wants to make a difference to young people in Nottinghamshire to find out more about fostering and consider stepping into this rewarding role.
Since the first ‘lockdown’, Nottinghamshire’s fostering recruitment team has been running virtual information events for those thinking about fostering. The virtual events are held every three weeks, with the next one on Wednesday 9th June at 12noon. Anyone with an interest in fostering is encouraged to attend.
You can find out all about fostering and upcoming events on the council’s website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/fostering, Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fosternotts, or by speaking to a member of the NCC fostering team on 0115 804 4440.
