New look website for the county’s fostering service
LEICESTERSHIRE County Council has launched a new look webpage for its fostering services.
The changes to the FosteringLeicestershire.com website come as part of a push to recruit more in-house foster carers to help the council save around £3 million.
The new pages, streamlined to help people who may be thinking about fostering to gather all the information they require, to help them along their journey, include:
• Information about who can foster
• The support on offer
• Payments and allowances
• More details about the council’s popular ‘Find out about Fostering’ events.
Coun Ivan Ould, cabinet member for children and families, said: “The new website is designed to give all the information that anyone thinking about fostering could need, at their fingertips.
“People often count themselves out from fostering when in fact they may actually make fantastic foster carers. The new pages help to dispel myths around who can foster, as well as provide information about the processes and payments involved.”
As part of this latest recruitment drive the fostering and adoption team also hope a four week trial to extend their opening hours from 8am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, will help meet the needs of people calling the team in the evenings.
Councillor Ould added: “Some people are at work during the day or they have other commitments such as child care. By having a more flexible approach to the times we are available, we hope it will help more people to get in touch and have the conversations they really need in order to find out information about fostering or adoption.”
People interested in fostering can also pop along to one of the many ‘Find out about Fostering’ events planned in 2018 with the next two as follows:
Wednesday, February 28 and Thursday, March 22.
These informal events provide those interested in fostering with a relaxed atmosphere to find out more from experienced staff and foster carers. They are hosted between 6.30pm and 8pm at County Hall, although visitors are advised to arrive at reception for 6.15pm.
The fostering and adoption team can be contacted on 0116 305 0505 or via email at fosteringandadoption@leics.gov.uk