Could you provide a loving home like Bonny and Jayne?
URGENT NEED IN COUNTY TO FIND MORE FOSTER CARERS
STAFFORDSHIRE’S foster carers are taking centre stage for this year’s Foster Care Fortnight celebrations, which start today.
Bonny Sandford and Jayne Vause are leading the county’s celebrations for the annual event, to raise the profile of fostering and highlight the urgent need for more carers.
This year’s theme is “Fostering Communities”, which will highlight not only the support that families provide for children, but also for other foster carers. More experienced carers are now supporting other families new to fostering through mentoring, training and support groups.
Bonny, who fosters with her husband Dave, said: “Fostering is a great thing to do. We would encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to just go for it, find out more and take that step. The training is excellent and there are local support groups, so you become part of a real fostering community. Most of all, you make a real difference to a child’s life, which is the most amazing feeling.”
Jayne Vause, who fosters with her husband Alan, has over 25 years’ experience as a foster carer and has done most types of fostering.
Jayne added: “We have loved being foster carers with the council. Fostering is such a rewarding thing to do because it makes a huge difference to the children you care for. There are also lots of different types of fostering to choose from and options that suit all kinds of family life. You are never on your own as a foster carer and there is always local support and a friendly face available. If you have ever thought about fostering but not yet taken that first step, I’d urge you to go for it.”
Throughout the fortnight, local foster carers will be joining “Reggie”, the Fostering Service’s promotional bus, as it tours the county. Reggie Roadshows will be visiting Uttoxeter Dovefields car park on Thursday, May 12, and Burton Coopers Square Shopping Centre (outside M&S) on Wednesday, May 18.
Councillor Mark Sutton, cabinet member responsible for children and young people at Staffordshire County Council, said a further 60 foster families are needed in the county this year.
He said: “Our foster carers do a wonderful job helping to transform children’s lives every day, but I’m also very proud of the support they provide to each other.
“We do have an urgent need for more foster carers in Staffordshire, and Foster Care Fortnight gives us the perfect opportunity to encourage more people to come forward. We have a strong fostering community in the county and once again it’s great to see our own foster carers being the stars of the campaign.
“If fostering is something you’re considering, then please do come along to one of our events and hear first hand from real foster carers what a rewarding thing it is to do.”
All Staffordshire foster carers receive an induction programme including pre-approval training to prepare them to foster, and then ongoing opportunities to develop their skills, so they are equipped with the skills they need to care for the children in their care.
A Facebook live stream question and answer session will also take place on Friday, May 13, at 1pm. People can join at facebook.com/fosterforstaffs.
Anyone interested in fostering with the county council can find out more at www.fosterforstaffordshire.co.uk or by calling 0800 169 2061.
Meanwhile, the UK’S leading fostering charity, the Fostering Network, joined by Family Care Fostering, says that too often, due to a lack of foster carers, children are placed with foster families away from their local communities, and sibling groups are separated. The issue is being highlighted during Foster Care Fortnight, the charity’s annual awareness raising campaign, as it calls for more people to come forward and foster.
In the Midlands alone, over 1,200 new fostering households are needed in the next 12 months to make sure every child that can’t live with their own family gets the care they need and are well supported within their community.
David Barrow, registered fostering manager at Family Care Fostering, says: ‘We want to invite all the different communities in Staffordshire to get involved in fostering. It is important that different identities are represented within the fostering community.
“So, if you have a spare bedroom and time to give care to a child, please get in touch today to find out more.”