Foster Care Fortnight is taking place from 13 to 26 May, the UK’s biggest awareness raising campaign for foster care.
The campaign, led by The Fostering Network, highlights the dedication and passion of foster carers, and how thousands of new foster families are needed every year to care for children.
Special events will be taking place throughout Foster Care Fortnight, including the start of Fostering Leicestershire open evenings at Leicestershire County Council.
Every 20 minutes another child comes into care needing a foster family in the UK. Every day there are about 65,000 children living with 55,000 foster families.
Fosters carers are particularly needed for older children, sibling groups, disabled children and unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their birth family. Sometimes children only stay with a foster family for a few days, while others will live with their foster family for their entire childhood and beyond. Many of these children have experienced abuse or neglect prior to coming into care. Fostering is often their first positive experience of family life.
Despite the trauma experienced by children coming into care and their difficult start to life, good foster care can help to transform their lives and enable them to flourish. Fostering offers children a safe and caring home and plays a big part in supporting them to maintain links with their birth family.
Foster carers come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of life and work experiences with them. They work as part of a team of professionals and receive training to develop the skills required to meet the needs of children in their care.
This Foster Care Fortnight, The Fostering Network want you to know that fostering is about changing futures. And, if you think you have the relevant skills and experience, they are calling on you to consider becoming foster carers so that you can also #changeafuture
For more information go to: www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk
