Have you seen the National Fostering Campaign?
You may have recently seen fostering appearing more often on television, online or across radio and social media. That’s because the Government has launched England’s first national foster carer recruitment campaign on October 13th. At its heart is a simple message: you might be closer to becoming a foster carer than you think.
Why is the campaign needed?
There is a growing need for more foster carers across England. Despite there being more routes into fostering than ever before, recent DfE polling found that a significant number of adults were ruling themselves out before even speaking to fostering services. A whopping 66% of adults who took part in the polling believed they could be a good foster carer if practical barriers were removed.
Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister said:
Fostering changes lives, not just for the children who finally get the stability and love every child deserves, but for the carers themselves, who tell us it’s one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done.
Right now, thousands of children need that chance, and that’s exactly what our national campaign is about: cracking fostering open to ordinary people across England who have the values, the commitment, and the love to foster.
This is part of a bigger reset of children’s social care, one that puts loving, stable relationships back at the heart of the system.
The campaign is designed to provide positive long-lasting oucomes for children in care through a simplified fostering process and the recruitment of 10,000 new fostering households.
Fostering isn’t one-size-fits-all.
You don't need to be a certain type of person, or have a particular background to be able to foster.
The national campaign is particularly focused on breaking down misconceptions about who can foster and highlighting the everyday difference carers can make.
There are different type of fostering to suit the needs of each child, and the availability and strengths of each foster carer. At Gloucestershire County Council, we will work with you to find out what type of fostering could fit in with you and your family.
What does this mean here in Gloucestershire?
For us, the national campaign provides a fantastic opportunity to start more conversations about fostering locally.
Gloucestershire have already done lots of work over recent years to streamline their fostering service, and the national campaign fits closely with the work already being done: Telling real fostering stories, developing a core offer to foster carers and streamlining the fostering application process.
You don't need to have all the answers.
If you're reading this newsletter, you've probably already taken an important first step: you've started thinking about fostering.
And for many, that's the hardest step to take.
Once you make that initial step to find out more, our fostering team are here to support you with every other step of your journey.
Ask us your questions! Find out about our comprehensive training, financial support and ongoing support available. Talk to us about your personal situation and experience.
Most importantly, don't rule yourself out before you've spoken to us.
You could make a lasting difference to the lives of local children and young people across Gloucestershire.
It all starts with a conversation:
Call the team for a no-obligations chat on 01242 532654
Email us at fostering@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Ready to take that step? Complete our simple enquiry form
Read the full press release from DfE on the National Fostering campaign here.