As part of its New Year campaign to fill the urgent need for foster families, Staffordshire County Council is asking Stone residents to consider fostering as the next step in their lives.
Supporting the campaign is Staffordshire foster carer Tanya Budd, who along with her husband Philip, have been fostering for Staffordshire for seven years.
Tanya will be sharing her experiences and highlighting the many benefits of fostering during a live stream on Friday 28th January at 10 am on Facebook. Joining her will be social worker Terry McDermott, who will be able to answer people’s questions about fostering. People can access the event at www.facebook.com/fosterforstaffs.
Tanya now wants people to join her for the live stream and said:
“Fostering is a very rewarding role to do and it’s amazing to see the difference you can make to a child’s life.
“We mainly foster teenagers long-term and we love it. We support them with their school work, advocate for them and it’s great to see them making progress. Most people can foster and it’s really easy to get started and there’s lots of local support and training available to you. I would encourage anyone thinking about it to join us for our live stream on Friday to find out more.”
Staffordshire needs to find 180 new foster families over the next three years, with a particular need for carers for teenagers and sibling groups.
Mark Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Staffordshire County Council said:
“Our foster families make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of children in Staffordshire every day. Not only do they provide a loving home but they also give them stability and consistency.
“It’s really important that we have enough families to care for the children that come into our care. We know that there will be people out there who are thinking about changing career so I’d urge them to join us online or get in touch with the team to find out more.
“Being a foster carer can be a great career and you’ll get support and access to training in your local area. Furthermore, most people can foster. You simply need to care about children, have good communication skills, have a spare bedroom and be ready for a challenge.”
People interested in becoming a foster carer with Staffordshire County Council can find out more at www.fosterforstaffordshire.co.uk or by calling 08001692061.
