Foster carer is urging others to give out love to young people

A FOSTER carer from Burton is recommending locals interested in doing what she does find out more about what it entails.

Sharon Chetwynd said: “Fostering means being able to provide a safe and secure base for a young person. You are never alone as a foster carer there is lots of training and support and I’d encourage anyone interested to find out more.”

Her encouragement comes as Staffordshire County Council’s fostering service, which needs to recruit around 60 new families this year, is urgently seeking households in the county that can care for teenagers and sibling groups.

A series of virtual information events is planned for the next three months.

Mark Sutton, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Our foster families accomplish incredible things every day, even in the face of a global crisis like Coronavirus.

“This can be the time of year when people think about doing something different with their lives or taking on a new adventure or challenge, especially with children back at school or off to university.

“There’s no doubt that fostering could be the challenge people are looking for, but with the right attributes like good communication skills, patience it can also be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do.

“While we currently need carers for children of all ages, we have a particular need for carers for teenagers and sibling groups. If fostering sounds like it could be your next challenge, then joining one of our virtual information events will help you take that first step.”

There are many different types of fostering including, long-term, weekend, short-term and resilience fostering.

The next virtual fostering information event will be on Thursday, October 22, at 6.30pm. People can sign up at www.fosterforstaffordshire. co.uk More information is also available on the website or by calling 0800 169 2061.