Henry Smith MP is backing the call for people in Crawley to come forward and make their connection with fostering during The Fostering Network’s annual Foster Care Fortnight campaign, which runs from 1st to 14th June 2015.

Henry said;

“I’m pleased to support Foster Care Fortnight. As each year passes, we see more and more children coming into care, and so we need more people offer a home to children and young people who need support at a critical point in their young lives.

“A good foster carer will believe in the ambition of the children in their care in the same way they’d believe in the ambition of their own family members. Foster carers can help those who haven’t had the best start begin to enjoy their life and grow into the adults that they want to be.”

As part of Foster Care Fortnight, West Sussex County Council’s Fostering Recruitment Team will be holding a series of informal information events in town centres around the county throughout the first two weeks of June.

They will be on hand to talk about fostering and what it means to be a foster carer – as well as answering your questions.

The sessions will take place on:

• Monday 1st June – Chichester City Centre (10am – 3pm)
• Wednesday 3rd June – Town centre, Bognor Regis (10am – 3pm)
• Friday 5th June – Montague Place, Worthing (10am – 3pm)
• Monday 8th June – Orchards Shopping Centre, Haywards Heath (10am – 3pm)
• Wednesday 10th June – Queens Square, Crawley (10am – 3pm)
• Friday 12th June – Carfax, Horsham (10am – 3pm)

Jackie Sanders, Director of The Fostering Network, commented; 

“We are absolutely thrilled that Henry Smith MP is supporting this year’s Foster Care Fortnight.

“It shows that he recognises the need to make sure that the children and young people of Crawley who most need support, love and care have it.”

This year alone, 8,370 new foster carers are needed across the UK to ensure that the rising number of children coming into care can have the best chance of find a loving foster family who can not only meet their needs, but help them build a positive future.

Over 63,000 children live with almost 55,000 foster families across the UK. There is a particular need for foster carers to look after teenagers, disabled children and sibling groups, with the need for more foster carers meaning that children may end up far from home, be split up from brothers and sisters or lose touch with family and friends.

There are very few barriers to fostering and your local fostering service will provide you all the training and support you need to ensure you can be a foster carer that can change lives. All children are unique, so we need a diverse foster carer population to provide the best home to help each individual child flourish and fulfil their potential.

External articles:
Make a fostering connection this Foster Care Fortnight (West Sussex County Council)
28 May 2015

External links:
Fostering (West Sussex County Council)
The Fostering Network