THEGIFT OF LOVE

DO YOUTHINK YOUCOULD MAKE ADIFFERENCE BY PROVIDING AHOME FOR ACHILD NEEDING CARE? HEATHER LARGE LOOKS AT THE WORLDOFFOSTERING AND SPEAKS TO ASHROPSHIRE WOMAN ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES OF LOOKINGAFTER FOSTER CHILDREN FOR 20 YEARS

Having asupportive family and asafe and warm home is something many of us take for granted.

Every year thousands of children desperately need someone to care for them when they can’t live with their birth parents.

Foster carers carry out this vital role, providing them with love, understanding, and asecure place to call home for as long they need it.

According to latest statistics from The Fostering Network, more than70,000 children live with almost 56,000 foster families across the UK each day

They include babies and toddlers, children with special needs and brothers and sisters who need to stay together

There are also teenagers and young mothers who need alittle extra support before they make their own way in life.

Many will have experienced domestic crises. Most will be feeling bewildered and upset about moving in with strangers. So, it’s afoster carer’s responsibility to bring stability and continuity to these children’s lives while the difficulties are being sorted out.

In the vast majority of cases, children in foster care will have regular contact with their families, asfostering agencies recognise how importantfamily time is for the children and their identity

They will often continue to attend their old schools and maintain contact with their friends. The expectation is that most will hopefully return home to their families.

Making adifference to achild’s life through fostering is said to be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences available.

Clare Pollard, who lives in Shrewsbury,has cared for dozens of children sinceshe started fostering more than 20 years ago.

“I was focused on my work as abuyer and Ihad agood social life but Ialways thought there was more Icould do. Ihad got to astageinlife where Iwanted to give something back,” she explains.

Over the years, Clare hasprovided ahome for than 50 children who need short-term, long-term or emergency placements.

“I love to see the children thrive. I’m quite anurturing person. Ienjoy being part of achild’s journey and helping them to thrive,” she explains.

Fostering hasnot only been a beneficial experience for Clare, who is carer for Shropshire Fostering, which is part of Shropshire Council, but alsofor her two teenage children.

“They enjoy it, if they didn’t Iwould stop. They feel it’s part of being in a big family.They enjoy welcoming the children. They make great friendships and they still have these friendships to this day,” she explains.

Clare is also ahub carer for the Mockingbird programme which is delivered by The Fostering Network in partnership with 62 fostering services across the UK.

The programme aims to nurturethe relationships between children, young people and foster families supporting them to build aresilient and caring community of six to 10 satellite families called aconstellation

As of January 2023, there were 117 Mockingbird constellations in England, Wales and Scotland with families attending socialevents, supporting each other and overcoming problems before they escalate.

“Mockingbird started in America and the idea is that hub carers and foster families get together with everyone bringing their experience to the table.

“The hub carer is seen as thegrandpa or grandma of the constellation and we provide asafe place for adults and children.

“Foster children make great friendships in aconstellation,they realise they are not alone and there are other children like them in care,” explains Clare.

ShropshireFostering is always on the lookout for foster carers from all walks of life. The number of children that need to be placed with afoster carer is increasing.

In 2021,there were 435 children that needed to be fostered. By December 2022, this had increased to 536 children.

Foster carers don’t need to have children of their own and can be married, single or in asame sex relationship. They do need to fitcertain criteria, such as having aspareroom and being over 21 years old –but this can allbediscussed when someone makes their first enquiry

There are arange of options available, such as part-time fostering or becoming a respite foster carer,but more so long-term carers and also for aspecialist fostering scheme called Stepping Stones. There’s also alot of support through various groups and training.

ShropshireFostering provides homes for hundreds of children across the county and gets to know each child really well, as the children in the careofthe local council’s fostering service –ofwhich

Shropshire Fostering is the brand name, before placing them with well-matched foster parents where possible.

An excellent support package is available for foster carers which includes a24/7 support line if they are in need of advice, as well as peer support and specific training.

On top of that, the agency also organises social events, fun days and barbecues so that foster families can get together and be part of afantastic community

Foster carers are classed as self- employed and work for Shropshire Council by whom they are thoroughly assessed and properly supported. n To request an information pack go to www.shropshirefostering.co.uk/enquire or for ano-obligation chat call 0800 783 8798.

They are paid acontinuous amount, whether they have achild in their care or not. Knowing they will receive regular payments allows foster parents to relax and enjoy spending time with the children in their care.