Posted on 18th Feb
People are being urged to join a virtual event to find out more about being a foster carer.
One year on since the council launched its campaign for 200 foster carers, 44 have now signed up to provide care to children and young people across the county.
Nottinghamshire County Council is now urging anyone who can provide safe and loving home for children to sign up to one of its virtual information events to find out more.
The council launched its Giving Children Roots campaign at Sherwood Forest in 2020 with an aim to recruit more than 200 carers. That appeal continues with 44 successfully signed up but with more still on their way to becoming new foster carers.
Foster carers receive weekly payments as well as other benefits, support and training to make sure they have the skills and techniques they need to foster.
Kelly Hopley, of Mansfield, who had her first placements just before the first national lockdown in 2020, said: “Fostering has changed the lives of our whole family in the most positive of ways. We enjoy supporting the children we have and find so much enjoyment in seeing them achieve their milestones. Our children are genuinely interested in their welfare. We would fully recommend fostering to anyone considering it.”
Looking back at the Sherwood Forest event, so much has changed in many people’s lives, and there may now be people who are able to foster who couldn’t last year.
The event in Sherwood Forest saw children from local schools forming the number 200 and planting trees to represent the number of fostering households urgently needed in Nottinghamshire.
Coun Phillip Owen, chairman for Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “Nottinghamshire’s foster carers do an incredible job providing safe, nurturing homes for young people. But there are hundreds of children who need a stable, nurturing family and more foster carers are urgently needed.
“The tree planting last February was a great start to kicking off the campaign; trees need stable roots and foundations to grow and thrive, just like children do. That’s why we planted all those trees last year –200 trees donated by the Woodland Trust in the name of Looked After Children in Nottinghamshire. To see that the trees are thriving is very rewarding, and I want children in foster placements to thrive too. But there’s more work to do, we need more people to become foster carers.
“More children have come into care since our event last year, as they do every year, so we have an ongoing need for more people to step forward as foster carers.
“Looking back, no one could have predicted the year we’ve had. So many people’s lives have been turned upside down by the pandemic but finding homes for children in care remains an urgent priority for the council. There may be some people evaluating their lives and thinking about making changes for the future. Could that include potentially becoming a foster carer and giving a child a stable home? If you think you or someone you know could be a foster carer, I urge you get in touch.”
Since the first lockdown, the fostering recruitment team has switched to running virtual information events for those thinking about fostering. The virtual events are held every three weeks, with the next one on Thursday 25 February at 1:30pm. Anyone with an interest in fostering is encouraged to attend.
Go to www.facebook.com/fosternotts, or speak to a member of the fostering team by calling 0115 804 4440.
