Nottinghamshire foster carers and fostering staff come together to share #WhyWeCare

Foster carers, social workers and staff from Nottinghamshire County Council’s fostering service have come together to share their own messages of #WhyWeCare this Foster Care Fortnight

Foster Care Fortnight kicks off today, Monday 10 May, and aims to spread the message - across the country and locally – that more foster carers are needed for children who are in care.

Staff and foster carers for Nottinghamshire County Council are joining in the #WhyWeCare campaign, which is organised by The Fostering Network charity, in the hopes of encouraging the people of Nottinghamshire to consider whether fostering could be right for them.

With messages such as “It feels good to know you are helping to make a difference”, and “every child deserves a loving home”, the foster carers of Nottinghamshire are hoping to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and provide safe, loving homes to children who need them.

Sally and Clark are foster carers from Rushcliffe, who were recently approved in December 2020 and had their first foster placement living with them in the same month. The couple have joined in the #WhyWeCare campaign because they want to encourage others who are thinking about fostering to get in touch with Nottinghamshire County Council’s fostering team:

"We came into fostering to provide a stable home for children in need of one. Our eldest child had moved out and had a son of her own, so we had the space and we wanted to help out where we could.

“Seeing a child settle in and become part of the family for however long they may be with us, and for them to gain in confidence and their personality grow, is one of the most rewarding things life has to offer. We are happy to make a child's life better in whatever way we can."

According to the Fostering Network, every 20 minutes another child comes into care needing a foster placement in the UK, and every day there are about 65,000 children living with 55,000 foster families.

In Nottinghamshire there are over 950 children in care, and Nottinghamshire County Council has 275 fostering households.

Foster carers for the Council receive weekly payments, benefits, support from their supervising social worker, and excellent training with an emphasis on therapeutic foster care, to ensure that every foster carer is equipped with the best techniques possible to help the children in their care.

Each foster carer is supported at all times, and can always find help with questions and concerns if they need it, and there is also an out of hours phone number so they’re never alone.

The fostering team and foster carers are appealing to anyone who wants to make a difference to young people in Nottinghamshire to find out more about fostering and consider stepping into this rewarding role.

Since the first lockdown, Nottinghamshire’s fostering recruitment team has been running virtual information events for those thinking about fostering. The virtual events are held every three weeks, with the next ones on Thursday 13 May at 11am, and Wednesday 9 June at 12noon. Anyone with an interest in fostering is encouraged to attend.

Find out all about fostering and upcoming events on the council’s website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/fostering, Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fosternotts, or alternatively you can speak to a member of the fostering team by calling 0115 804 4440.