Foster Care Fortnight starts today – and it is the ideal time to find out how you could help children in need.
Cumbria Fostering is asking local people to find out about fostering at a series of countywide events.
Foster Care Fortnight, organised by the Fostering Network charity, aims to raise awareness of the need for more carers to come forward across the country.
Every 15 minutes another child comes into care needing a foster family in the UK. Every day, there are about 70,000 children living with 53,000 foster families.
With record numbers of children in care and a significant proportion of the foster carer workforce retiring or leaving every year, thousands more foster families are needed.
There is a particular need for foster carers to look after teenagers and sibling groups.
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their birth family.
Sometimes children only stay with a foster family for a few days, while others will live with their foster family for their entire childhood and beyond.
Foster carers come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of life and work experiences with them.
They work as part of a team of professionals and receive training to develop the skills required to meet the needs of children and young people in their care.
This year the theme of the fortnight is fostering moments, which celebrates the moments that define fostering journeys; big and small.
The moments that built confidence, make young people feel safe and create memories.
For foster carer Caz Mullen, of Barrow, “getting the big smile and the hug at the end of the day” is just one of the reasons she loves fostering.
She said she would encourage others, with the space and time for a child, to find out more during Foster Care Fortnight.
If you think you might have what it takes to foster, you can speak to our friendly team and carers at a virtual or face to face information session during the fortnight:
- Wednesday May 15 – Visit our fostering information stand at the atrium of the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle from noon to 2pm
- Monday May 20 – Join our virtual information event between 6pm and 7pm and watch a short presentation on fostering and speak to our friendly team and carers. To book a place on our event email claire.crisp@cumberland.gov.uk before noon on Friday May 17
- Friday May 24 – Come along to our fostering information drop-in at Costa Coffee, Elephant Yard, Kendal from 1pm to 2pm
Find out more about fostering, visit cumbriafostering.org.uk
