Alan White

IN Staffordshire, we want to give everyone the best shot in life and no more so than the children who find themselves in the county council’s care system.

Every child or young person deserves a happy, safe and settled family setting and that’s where our wonderful army of foster carers step right in.

We have a community of around 400 foster families who support those young people who have often had a difficult start in life.

But the truth is, with the number of children in care on the rise and carers retiring each year, we always need more families to come forward.

It’s not for everyone, if only it was! However, I know from talking to our foster carers that it can be both rewarding and challenging in equal measures but the difference these carers make is immeasurable.

All sorts of people from all backgrounds can and do foster.

You don’t need to be a perfect family and most importantly, the county council’s fantastic fostering team is there to help you every step of the way.

There’s always advice on hand, lots of training and support available and of course you will be paid for opening up your home.

This week our fostering team, along with our foster carers, will be visiting towns across the county as part of this year’s national Foster Care Fortnight campaign.

Over the two weeks, we’ll be focusing on our amazing fostering community and showing how they not only support the children they look after but also provide support to each other.

We’re hoping to recruit around 60 more foster families this year, please find out more at www. fosterforstaffordshire.co.uk