Wiltshire Council ready to support new Foster Carers
They'll be sharing stories of current carers over the Foster Care Fortnight
If you’ve ever considered being a foster carer for a child, these first-hand accounts shared by Wiltshire Council might convince you.
Foster Care Fortnight begins on May 15th and the Council will be sharing the stories of foster carers as the campaign to recruit 30 new foster carers by Summer 2024 picks up pace.
Foster Care Fortnight is the biggest awareness raising campaign on foster care and is led by charity The Fostering Network.
One carer who has been receiving children into her care for a number of years is Kate. She mostly fosters teenagers and told a story of how she supported a 15-year-old boy in her care.
The boy had had a difficult week at school so, despite the rain outside, Kate lit her garden fire pit and invited the boy down to listen to some music and sit by the fire – which they did for three hours.
“I sat back and thought ‘this is fostering’,” she said: “That was three hours of his life where I stopped him from feeling the way he was feeling.
“It can be emotionally challenging, but the rewards are there. Some of the really little things you do can be massive achievements and you just know you’re helping in a small way.”
Kate says anyone considering being a foster carer is “already halfway there”: “There must be something in you that cares if you can help children in care. I would say make a list of every question you have as there are so many myths.
“There is no pressure and you’ve got nothing to lose. If you’re caring, patient and resilient it could be the right move for you. You won’t be on your own and you’ll have support and training and make new friends with it.”
The council increased its fostering rates from April 2023, ranging from £380 to £710 a week per child, depending on people’s skills and experience.
Wiltshire Council will be holding drop-in sessions online for people wanting more information, while the fostering team will be at various venues for face-to-face conversations including one in Salisbury on May 15th, outside Waterstones and New Look, from 10am to 3pm.
“The number of children coming into our care continues to rise which means we always need more foster carers,” said Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.
She added: “People like Kate are providing inspiration and adding untold value to a young person who may have gone through terrible trauma and need a warm home, a safe place to stay and someone to listen to them.”