‘18 children in the North West enter our care every day,’ says National Fostering Group whose local agencies are appealing for foster carers to step forward and help provide loving homes for these children in need. ‘As numbers continue to rise and with the current economic uncertainty growing day by day, a shortage of foster carers across the area means that children are being moved away from communities and siblings separated.’
In response to this crisis, National Fostering Group has launched, ‘It’s because of you’; a campaign focused on real people, telling real stories about what life is like as a foster carer, as well as what it means to the children that they foster. The campaign highlights the essential role the foster care community plays in changing the lives of vulnerable children, providing the nurture and support young people need to help them build incredible futures.
Long-time foster carers Emma and Bruce, and Gaynor and Peush, along with Geoff, Stephen and their foster son, Aiden, are featured in National Fostering Group’s advert broadcast across the region on Sky TV. With these foster families as the stars of the piece, other foster carers and children from across the country, came together to devise the statements used, to help communicate what they believe the essence of foster care to be.
Commenting on the campaign, foster carer Geoff said, ‘Being a foster carer is about much more than just having a spare room. Some foster families look after children on a short-term basis, but for many children, fostering offers them a secure, permanent home, providing support and care in a family setting and enabling them to stay in their local community with everything that is familiar.
‘With the growing number of children coming in to care, there has never been a greater need, especially here in the North West. If you’re interested in fostering – please get in touch and have your questions answered. You can even talk to carers like me, to get the low down on what being a carer is really like!
‘As well as all the support and training you will receive from the agency, there’s a whole family of foster carers out there ready to welcome you. Help build incredible futures for vulnerable children and young people in need, there are challenges along the way, but it’s a wonderfully rewarding journey. I hope the campaign will inspire people to pick up the phone or send an email and take that all-important first step to becoming foster carers.’
If you would like to make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people in your local community by becoming a foster carer, visit National Fostering Group today and start your highly rewarding fostering adventure!
