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Flintshire supports Foster Care Fortnight

Published: 10/05/2017

Foster Care Fortnight, an annual recruitment campaign to encourage people to consider a career in fostering, begins on Monday 8 May and runs until Sunday 21 May. Flintshire County Council’s fostering service supports this campaign each year and they will be holding an information session on Tuesday 16 May at Springfield Hotel, Holywell so you can find out more about becoming a foster carer. ?Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign, delivered by leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network. 9,070 new foster families are needed in the next 12 months alone to care for a range of children, with the greatest need being for foster carers for older children, sibling groups, disabled children and unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Flintshire County Council’s Chief Officer for Social Services, Neil Ayling, said: “We already have 120 local families who foster with Flintshire County Council but more carers are needed, particularly for children aged 10 and over. We are looking for local families, singles and couples who have grown up children or no young children at home. “Older children have often spent many years growing up in foster care and now need a new foster carer to guide them on the right path in their teenage years to become successful adults, teaching them life skills such as cooking and money, and helping them to make choices in education, work and life. Sometimes older children have lived in a chaotic family home life for many years, and this is all they know, until they finally vote with their feet and opt to leave, and now need a foster family to show them the many things they have missed out on.” The fostering service is also looking for people with experience working with or caring for young people who could support mums, dads or families with a new born baby, teaching them basic childcare skills and monitoring their care of the baby. Neil Ayling continues: “Parent and child together fostering is often a young mum with no family support or anyone to guide her on how to take care of her baby. We need an experienced foster carer or someone who can bring skills from their work, to guide them and gradually step back to let them successfully live on their own.” Flintshire fostering service’s information evening is at Springfield Hotel, near Holywell at 7pm on Tuesday 16 May. Please email fostering@flintshire.gov.uk to register to attend. To find out more, please call 01352 701965 or visit www.flintshirefostering.org.uk. The fostering team will also be answering common questions about fostering on our Facebook page throughout foster care fortnight including: What support will I get? Flintshire fostering team will support you every step of the way and have lots of experience. As a foster carer, you will have your own allocated social worker who will keep in close touch with you via phone or visits. You will be provided with training. As a foster carer you will be paid an allowance to help you to care for a child as well as any practical equipment needed. What training will I receive? No foster carer is expected to know everything and training is an essential part of your learning and development and to offer you support and advice. Training will be an ongoing process throughout your whole career as a foster carer. During the application period you will attend a ‘Skills to Foster Course’ to prepare you for the challenges of fostering. Am I too old? There is no upper age limit to fostering. People who have raised their own families and are retired / semi-retired are ideal as foster carers. They have a lot of experience to bring into the role and are better placed to care for older children. This is because we recommend that you foster children who are at least one year younger than your own youngest child. If people are in good enough health, have the energy, time and commitment to provide a caring, loving and supportive environment for a child/young person then age is no barrier. Why foster with your local Council? Fostering with your local Council gives you the chance to help local children and help them to stay in their local area and local schools. You will have the support and training you need on your doorstep and an experienced team nearby. Join over 100 local families who already foster with Flintshire County Council.