Latest news with #fosterparents
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Fostering in Essex is under threat, council says
Fostering is under threat in a county due to a falling number of carers coming forward, a council has County Council said it needed to urgently recruit 60 more foster parents to take care of the increasing number of children coming into care and replace the 50 who were about to Spence, the Conservative cabinet member for children's services, also said he was frustrated that only one out of 12 district and borough councils in the county had completed the fostering-friendly employment registration."Foster care is under threat," he said. "So many foster care parents are growing older, and so many of the challenges they face are harder."Spence said there were risks to youngsters being placed in children's homes and it was better for them to remain in their own home or another family setting. With "great regret", Spence said only Harlow Council had completed the registration County Council says the registration helps employers support staff who are fostering."Every leader and chief executive - I was assured by those who could see the knots - agreed that they would create a fostering-friendly employment offer."Spence said Territorial Army members were offered similar opportunities by can include paid time off or flexible working hours for carers who need to settle children into their homes, attend care meetings or training. Fostering in Essex About 800 children were in foster care in Essex at the beginning of 2025Of those, 688 were cared for through the council's internal fostering schemeEssex has 492 foster carersThe average pay for foster parents increased by 16% this year and a £2,000 welcome bonus was introducedResidential care is more than 10 times as expensive as placing children in foster families, the council saysNearly 100 children in Essex are in residential care that costs an average £300,000 per child per annum With a major shake-up of local councils being planned in Essex, Spence issued a further warning."If we are going to have local government reorganisation, you will not be financially sustainable as a council without fully embarking on foster-friendly employment processes both in your own house and among the major businesses surrounding it."This is an issue we cannot lose." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'The world opened up to me thanks to my foster carers'
A man who said his foster carers helped open up the world to him is urging other people to consider the role amid a crisis in support for vulnerable across the south west of England have launched their annual recruitment drive for foster carers. They say the overall numbers of people willing to take in a child have been falling as demand adults who grew up in care in Wiltshire have been speaking out about their experiences to raise Robbins urged people to "see our potential", while Cameron Draisey said his foster placement "made me who I am today". Ms Robbins said her foster parents helped open up the world to her."Obviously at the time that's not what it felt like, when they said 'you're going into care', I [said] 'well, I don't want to, you're not going to make me'," she being taken to her new foster family, she had been caring for an elderly relative, rarely attending school, and was often out late at night in her early teens."I'm feeling lucky and grateful, my foster carers could have gone 'she's just too much we can't deal with her', but actually they saw my potential," she Draisey recalls feeling "very reluctant" on his first day in care, having lived with his biological family for the first 14 years, but says he later "recognised that support was needed"."It was such a positive experience being in care, that one long term placement, I think its made me who I am today."I may have been quite challenging when I first went into care", he recalls, "but what you invest you do get out lots of positive experiences in the long term."Both Ms Robbins and Mr Draisey have joined Wiltshire Council's young voice participation service to help other families. Both are still close to their foster families as adults, and hope sharing their stories persuades others to think about fostering - because councils urgently need more foster England the number of foster households has fallen by nearly 2,000 since 2021, from about 44,600 to 42,615 in 2024."The crisis is because so many children and young people still need foster carers," said Sarah Thomas, the chief executive of the Fostering Network number of children needing to be looked after has increased by 30% since 2010, with about 83,630 children in care in Thomas said the solution is not simply about recruiting more foster carers, but "by ensuring better prevention and less likelihood of things coming to a crisis point, which comes back to investment in the social care system across the board". Meanwhile, Wiltshire Council's social worker Rachel Pearce said the complexity of behaviours and trauma of some cases nowadays is "so much higher than I have ever seen""The foster carers have got such a job to provide that consistency, that nurture, patience and understanding," she Codford near Warminster, foster carer Selina Kirkbride has looked after a total of eight children since 2017."I hold my hands up, there has been a couple of times when I've been thinking 'can I keep doing this', we've had some challenging times, but the support we've had has been amazing."To have the connection with them afterwards, to see how they're thriving and watching them grow, it's like we've got a big family," she said. Fostering is open to single people, couples, those with children, renters and homeowners.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
West Midlands agency says there's a shortage of foster families
A fostering agency has said there is a "shortage" of foster parents and is urging more people to consider it. Families First Fostering is a private agency that works with local authorities in Shropshire and Staffordshire to support 25 foster agency is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and is using the occasion to encourage more people to think about fostering. Louise Harkin, who works for the agency, said there are "preconceived notions that these children are 'damaged' - but that's not the case". Adele, from Shrewsbury, has been fostering for the past four years."[It] is something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl," she said. "They're amazing children," Adele said, adding that "they've obviously had some life experiences that aren't ideal".Adele - whose last name has been removed to protect her family's identity - has even been nominated for a National Children and Young People Award recognising her dedication. "[The nomination] is lovely, it's really nice, but for me it's not about awards," she said."For me, it's about seeing a child that feels they can get up and face each day, and laugh at least once a day," Adele added. "I'm happy to just stay in the shadows and let the children shine." Families First Fostering, which was recently graded 'outstanding' by Ofsted, specialises in 'therapeutic fostering', which focuses on supporting those who have experienced trauma in early life."People have this misconceived idea that these children come from a broken home, and their behaviour is unfixable - that's not the case," said Louise Harkin, who is an operations manager for the agency."We've found that with intensive therapeutic support, support with their education, those children will feel that they belong." Ms Harkin added that there is a perceived shortage of foster families in the region."There's more children coming into care, and there's a lack of foster parents for them," she said."Really, it's just about putting those children first." "Of course there are problems and there are challenges, but it's about working through those as a team and a family," Adele added. She said she would "one hundred per cent" recommend fostering."I've done jobs most of my life that are about caring, either for children or for the elderly," Adele said. "This is just something I never want to not do."
CBS News
13-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Five Colorado families honored by state Department of Human Services for dedication to foster care
Five Colorado families honored by state Department of Human Services for dedication to foster care Five Colorado families honored by state Department of Human Services for dedication to foster care Five Colorado families honored by state Department of Human Services for dedication to foster care Over the weekend, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was filled with joy and celebration. The Colorado Department of Human Services continued its annual celebration of National Foster Care Month to encourage more Coloradans to become foster parents. The Colorado Department of Human Services celebrated National Foster Care Month. Colorado Department of Human Services Five incredible families were honored for their incredible dedication to nurturing youth in our state by becoming foster parents. On average, eight children and youth enter foster care each day in Colorado. Today, there are 3,407 children and youth living with Colorado's 2,034 certified kinship and foster families. Foster parents help families thrive by providing support for children and youth in foster care while their biological parents take the time they need to learn skills to become the parents their children need. The Colorado Department of Human Services celebrated National Foster Care Month at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Cora Kemp "When families step up, it means children and youth have a chance to feel safe and supported in a loving home," said Joe Homlar, director of the Division of Child Welfare for CDHS. "These families don't just care for kids — they actively help reduce trauma and, whenever possible, help prepare children to reunite with their biological families. That kind of commitment changes lives." The five families honored include: CBS News Colorado Anchor Mekialaya White was honored to emcee the event, as a foster care advocate with weekly Wednesday's Child reports.
