As our sister company, Pathway Care, celebrates its 20th anniversary, here at Fostering Solutions we recognise just how far the foster care sector has come over the years. While we’re in a much better position to offer vulnerable children the caring, supportive homes they deserve, the number of children requiring a foster home is at a record high. That’s why we’re urging more carers to come forward.
Thousands more carers needed
Many people don’t realise the sheer level of number of carers currently needed to accommodate all of the children currently in need of a home. As published by The Fostering Network, 9,000 new carers are needed throughout 2016. It also highlights how an estimated 30,000 children continue to enter the system each year.
As of 31st March 2015, around 79% of children had a foster home, while the remainder had nowhere to go. The figure has increased further this year, with specific groups of children finding it more difficult than others to find a placement.
In particular, we desperately require carers who are willing to open their homes to:
It could be that you’re an existing Fostering Solutions carer and you perhaps didn’t realise you’d be able to take on additional specialist placements. Or maybe you’re thinking of fostering but you’ve been put off from applying because you’re worried you won’t be accepted?
The only factors we look for when reviewing applications is whether you have the space, the time and the compassion to offer a loving home to a child. Many things that people assume are important in order to be accepted, such as having a lot of money, being married or being heterosexual, simply don’t matter. We need a diverse range of carers from all walks of life.
You’ll also receive plenty of support once you get accepted as a carer. We supply full, in-depth training to all new carers, as well as on-going training and development for our existing carers. You’ll also be partnered with a carer buddy who will be able to offer valuable advice and support as you get started.
There really is a growing need for more foster carers to come forward, with the number of children entering the foster system increasing year upon year. If you’d like to make a massive difference to a vulnerable child, then we’d love to hear from you. Contact us now for more information or to get the application process started.