Thurrock Council is encouraging more people to consider becoming foster carers this Foster Care Fortnight.
Over the next week, Thurrock Council will be out and about across Thurrock and Essex to raise awareness of the life-changing impact fostering can have.
To kick off the start of Foster Care Fortnight on Monday 12 May, Councillor Vikki Harstean, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education, joined a fostering information pop-up stall at C2C Chafford Hundred Station.
Also at the stall was foster carer, Shirley, who has been providing respite foster care with Thurrock Council for over five years. You can read more about Shirley’s fostering journey on the Thurrock Council news webpage.
This year’s theme for Foster Care Fortnight is ‘The Power of Relationships’, which looks to highlight the vital connections at the heart of fostering. The bonds formed with foster carers help children and young people to grow and thrive. Foster carers play a crucial role in providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children and young people, many of whom have faced difficult or traumatic experiences. They support children in their education, physical and emotional well-being, and help them rebuild trust and confidence.
On average in the UK, a child comes into care needing a foster family every 15 minutes.
Thurrock urgently needs more foster carers. Across the East of England, there is currently a shortage of 440 foster carers, leaving too many children without the local homes they need.
Without locally based foster carers, children can end up in foster homes outside of their local authority area, far away from everything they know – family, friends, schools and clubs.
Cllr Vikki Hartstean, Cabinet Member for Children Services and Education, said: “We’re proud to be supported by so many amazing foster carers who help to provide Thurrock’s children in care the love and stability they need to have a happy, healthy life as they grow up.
“There is a need for all councils to recruit more foster carers, and we hope by putting on more pop stalls across the borough, we can inspire more people to think about fostering by showing them how rewarding and life-changing it can be. It was wonderful to speak to some of the commuters at C2C Chafford Hundred Station and get them thinking about potentially fostering in the future.
“We are committed to giving every child and young person in Thurrock the best chance to thrive, and for the vulnerable children and young people we care for, local fostering families can help to provide the stability and loving environment that is needed for them to flourish. If you are interested in learning more about fostering, please do visit our website, which provides some really useful information.”
Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said: “Strong, supportive relationships are at the heart of fostering. They connect foster carers, children, families, and practitioners, creating a community that surrounds children with the care they need to thrive. But with more children entering care, we urgently need more people to step forward so every child can have the right home for their needs.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ foster carer. The fostering community is made up of people from all walks of life- regardless of age, gender, relationship status, or sexual orientation. So, if you do one thing this Foster Care Fortnight, take a moment to find out more about fostering.”
Interested in becoming a foster carer? To learn more about fostering visit: www.thurrock.gov.uk/fostering
Or get in touch with Thurrock Council by calling 0800 652 1256 or emailing fostering.adoption@thurrock.gov.uk
