First Time Carers Urged to Think About Fostering
Potential first-time foster carers in the North West and West Midlands are being encouraged to think about the life-changing benefits they can bring to a young person's life by providing a home for them. With national Foster Care Fortnight launching from May 12th to May 25th, more first-time foster carers are being encouraged to think about how they can make a huge impact by giving a child stability, security and the chance for a bright future.
Family Care Group, which is based in Chorley, Lancashire and Dunston, in Staffordshire, has been providing vital fostering care and support for young people since 1988, and wants more people to consider becoming a foster carer and making that all-important difference to a young person in their area.
Figures published in 2024 by the Foster Care Network show that there has been a 40 % drop in available foster carers in the North West of England. Factors such as the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and changing family situations are believed to have been potential contributing factors to the decline.
Foster Care Fortnight is celebrating the Power of Relationships in fostering during the next two weeks and how successful bonding, between not only a foster carer and a child but also with social workers, the fostering community and even the child's birth parents, can transform lives.
Jen Gibbons, who has been a foster carer with Family Care Group for over 12 years, said: "Relationships are a huge part of fostering. Building strong, firm relationships means not only developing a bond with the children themselves but also getting to know everyone that is influential in the child's life, including birth parents and extended family, plus teachers at the child's school, teaching assistants and others.
"As professional foster carers, we play an integral part in the children's lives, so also working closely with social workers and support workers, and other key staff provides that wrap-around care for the child, which is vital. Relationships like this put the child in a place of security, knowing every person around them is working to create the best outcome for them."
Hannah Makin, Registered Manager for Fostering with Family Care Group, said:
"For both a foster carer and the young person they are supporting, the power of the bond they develop is so important in helping to shape the child's confidence, feeling of security and purpose. The close working we do ourselves with the carers and support groups forms a key part of developing this. There is a real need right now for more foster carers to come forward and provide that support for a young person, so we would really encourage people to consider fostering for the first time. Whether you are already a parent or not, the opportunity for you to take that step is there waiting for you. Fostering can mean providing safe, nurturing homes for a young person - whether for a night, a few months, or several years. But by taking that step, you can make a lasting difference to a young person's life."
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