More foster carers sought as hundreds of children spend Xmas in care

MORE than 900 children are currently under the care of Derbyshire County Council, with many having experienced their first Christmas in care.

Many of them have had a difficult start in life and need a helping hand from foster carers who can make as huge difference to a child’s life.

Foster carers can be single or in a relationship, married or in a civil partnership, LGBT+, any ethnicity, race, culture or religion, working or not, and either rent or own their own home.

Children of all ages are in need of foster care homes and people who could offer a loving, stable home are being urged to get in touch to find out how they could change children’s lives.

The council wants to encourage people to help foster children in care. There are many different types of fostering opportunities with us which fit around work, family and different lifestyles.

Prospective foster carers receive ongoing support throughout the assessment process plus training, benefits and a competitive package of financial support once they are approved.

Foster carers do not need any special qualifications, they just need to:

■■Be aged 21 or over with no upper age limit;

■■Have a spare room – or space in their bedroom for a cot for children aged up to two;

■■Go through a few initial checks before they are assessed; ■■Have some experience of caring for children.

Councillor Julie Patten, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services and safeguarding, said: “Giving children the best possible start in life is one of our key priorities and sometimes that involves offering children and families who may need it a helping hand to get through a difficult time.

“Children in our care have had a difficult start in life and we’re looking for people who can provide a loving, stable home.

“If you think you could change a child’s life, we’d really like to hear from you. There’s lots of information on our website about becoming a foster carer or you can call our friendly fostering team.”

People can find out more about fostering for Derbyshire County Council and apply at derbyshire.gov. uk/fostering or call 0800 083 77 44. You can also sign up to the county council’s “all about fostering” email bulletins at derbyshire.gov.uk/ fosteringbulletins