‘Fun, fulfilling and hugely rewarding’. That is how County Durham foster carers have described their experiences and now they are inviting other potential carers to find out more about fostering and the rewards it brings.
Foster carers will share their experiences when they attend a series of drop-in information sessions, which begin tomorrow organised by Durham County Council, aimed at people who believe they have the patience, understanding and space to change a child’s life.
The sessions are part of the council’s Be The Reason campaign, appealing for people who are considering becoming a foster carer to come forward and find out more about the different types of fostering and the professional support available.
The drop-ins offer the opportunity for people to meet and speak to carers about their experiences and to ask the fostering team any questions, or raise any doubts or worries they may have.
Florence Coulter, the council’s fostering team manager, said: “Fostering is like no other job and whilst at times it can be challenging and frustrating the difference that foster carers can make is truly life-changing.
“The children and young people in our care come from very different backgrounds and situations so we need people of all ages and backgrounds to provide them with a stable and loving family home. We want to recruit a diverse range of foster carers to increase the likelihood of finding a match for each child or young person. Those people can be the reason brothers and sisters stay together or the reason children are not placed far from their home. Be The Reason is all about us reaching out to potential carers and letting them know how to get started, explaining how the fostering process works and how we can help them.”
Anyone considering offering a child in care a stable home is welcome to attend the events on the following dates:
• Tuesday, 9 October – 4.30pm to 1pm at County Hall
• Thursday, 25 October – 11am to 1pm at Durham Town Hall
People who are unable to attend the events can discover more about fostering at www.durham.gov.uk/fostering or by speaking to a member of the fostering team on 03000 269 400.
Follow @DurhamFosterAdopt on Facebook or search for #BeTheReason to find out more about the campaign