Could you start your fostering journey this Foster Care Fortnight?
Gateshead Council is calling for more people to come forward and find out about more about fostering, during The Fostering Network's annual Foster Care Fortnight (12-25May).
Foster Care Fortnight is the UK's biggest awareness raising campaign for fostering throughout the UK. This year's theme is The Power of Relationships - because at the heart of every fostering journey are the connections that make all the difference.
In Gateshead there is a need for more foster carers to care for children of all age ranges from babies to teenagers, for one child as well as sibling groups. Could you be the family these children and young people need at a difficult time in their lives?
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their own family. Sometimes children stay with a foster family for a few days, while others stay for their entire childhood and into adulthood.
Foster carers make a significant difference in the lives of fostered children and young people, helping them to flourish and changing their future. There are different types of fostering, from short break, anything from a few days per month, short term placements or to provide a permanent/forever home for children and young people.
At Gateshead Fostering we provide an extensive support package, high quality training/qualifications, a fostering fee and child allowance and access to a wide range of specialist advice as well as social events with other foster carers and families.
Anyone over the age of 21 who is fit and healthy enough to care for a child and has a spare room can find out more about becoming a foster carer and those eligible will receive a weekly payment , depending on skills, knowledge, experience, the age of the child, and the type of placement offered. Carers also receive additional payments for Christmas, birthdays and summer holidays, mileage and access to discounts such as the Blue Light Card.
Councillor Gary Haley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
"At Gateshead Council we really value and appreciate our foster carers for the support they provide to the children and young people in their care and supporting them to thrive into adulthood.
"This Foster Care Fortnight I encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to come forward and find out more. We know everyone's circumstances are unique and this means potential foster carers have different questions. By picking up the phone or coming along to one of our fostering information events you can start to explore what life could be like for you as a foster carer with Gateshead Council."
If you live in Gateshead and think you could offer the support, stability and a loving home to help change a fostered child's future get in touch to find out more. You don't need to make any commitment; it is just an opportunity for you to begin to think about whether you could start your own fostering story.
To find out more register for our next information event at www.gateshead.gov.uk/fosteringinformationevents or make an enquiry with our regional hub Foster with North East https://www.fosterwithnortheast.org.uk/enquire-now, telephone 0800 917 7771.
Gateshead Council is calling for more people to come forward and find out about more about fostering, during The Fostering Network's annual Foster Care Fortnight (12-25May).
Foster Care Fortnight is the UK's biggest awareness raising campaign for fostering throughout the UK. This year's theme is The Power of Relationships - because at the heart of every fostering journey are the connections that make all the difference.
In Gateshead there is a need for more foster carers to care for children of all age ranges from babies to teenagers, for one child as well as sibling groups. Could you be the family these children and young people need at a difficult time in their lives?
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their own family. Sometimes children stay with a foster family for a few days, while others stay for their entire childhood and into adulthood.
Foster carers make a significant difference in the lives of fostered children and young people, helping them to flourish and changing their future. There are different types of fostering, from short break, anything from a few days per month, short term placements or to provide a permanent/forever home for children and young people.
At Gateshead Fostering we provide an extensive support package, high quality training/qualifications, a fostering fee and child allowance and access to a wide range of specialist advice as well as social events with other foster carers and families.
Anyone over the age of 21 who is fit and healthy enough to care for a child and has a spare room can find out more about becoming a foster carer and those eligible will receive a weekly payment , depending on skills, knowledge, experience, the age of the child, and the type of placement offered. Carers also receive additional payments for Christmas, birthdays and summer holidays, mileage and access to discounts such as the Blue Light Card.
Councillor Gary Haley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
"At Gateshead Council we really value and appreciate our foster carers for the support they provide to the children and young people in their care and supporting them to thrive into adulthood.
"This Foster Care Fortnight I encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to come forward and find out more. We know everyone's circumstances are unique and this means potential foster carers have different questions. By picking up the phone or coming along to one of our fostering information events you can start to explore what life could be like for you as a foster carer with Gateshead Council."
If you live in Gateshead and think you could offer the support, stability and a loving home to help change a fostered child's future get in touch to find out more. You don't need to make any commitment; it is just an opportunity for you to begin to think about whether you could start your own fostering story.
To find out more register for our next information event at www.gateshead.gov.uk/fosteringinformationevents or make an enquiry with our regional hub Foster with North East https://www.fosterwithnortheast.org.uk/enquire-now, telephone 0800 917 7771.
