[F]oster carers across West Cumbria have added their voices to Cumbria County Council’s ‘Five Reasons to Foster’ campaign launched today (Monday April 16).
The campaign aims to recruit up to 30 more carers across the west of the county by emphasising the many reasons to foster and the rewards which fostering brings.
Carers from Workington, Cockermouth, Egremont and Keswick have shared their reasons for fostering in a series of short videos to be shown online and on social media, as part of the three week campaign, which culminates in an information event in Workington on May 12th.
County council foster carers James and Clare Archbold from Keswick both take part in the current campaign. Clare said: “I foster because I love children; I live in a lovely part of the world and want to be able to share it with them.
“I would thoroughly recommend anyone interested in fostering to find out more because the children we’ve had have been wonderful and the council have been very supportive and have helped us on our fostering journey.”
Other reasons carers give for fostering range from wishing to “make a difference” to seeing it as a way of “giving something back”.
As part of the campaign the carers also share their reasons for choosing to foster with Cumbria County Council.
Cllr Anne Burns, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “As our foster carers highlight in their videos there are so many reasons to foster – not least the difference you can make to the lives of vulnerable children in your local area.
“They also talk about the reasons to foster with the council, rather than going down another route, and these reasons include the amazing support you get from our team of social workers, as well as mentoring from our carers and a generous financial package – we have recently doubled our fees for foster carers.
“I would urge anyone who is considering fostering to find out more about fostering with us by attending an upcoming information event in their area.”
The council currently supports 129 foster carers in the west of the county but urgently needs more people to come forward to offer safe and caring homes to local children who, for a variety of reasons, can no longer be cared for by their own families.
If you think you have room in your life and your home, then why not become part of Cumbria’s biggest family? Council foster carers benefit from having a team of locally-based social workers on call 24 hours a day, as well as access to specialist services when they need them and a network of support from other local carers. In addition to this they receive ongoing training, opportunities for development and generous fees and allowances for each child in their care.
If you are considering fostering with Cumbria County Council, why not attend an upcoming drop in session or information event?:
- Tuesday April 24 – West Cumberland Hospital Drop-in, Whitehaven – 11am to 2pm
- Tuesday May 1 – Costa Coffee Drop-in, Workington – 12-2pm
- Saturday May 12 – Information Event, Washington Central Hotel, Workington – Doors open 2pm, presentation starts at 2.30pm.
For more information go to cumbria.gov.uk/fostering or call 0303 333 1216.
