Stockport Council is supporting Foster Care Fortnight in a bid to recruit more foster carers, an annual campaign that takes place from 1st June to 14th June.
The Council’s Fostering service aims to highlight the urgent need for more foster carers locally and nationally who can offer fostering homes for children in care; the council are actively looking to encourage people who could mentor, support and inspire older local children and brothers and sisters by offering them a secure and stable family home and help create family memories for the children and young people.
The theme is “get connected with fostering” and the Council’s Fostering team will be holding fostering events to meet with the public to promote fostering at the following locations
- Saturday 6th June 2015 in Mersey Square (outside Argos) between 11.00am and 2.00pm. Members of the Council’s Fostering team will be talking to people about fostering and handing out cakes. Shoppers will also get the opportunity to meet foster carers.
- Thursday 11th June at Handforth Dean Shopping Centre in the foyer between Tesco and Marks and Spencer from 11.00am and 2.00pm.
- Fostering roadshow on Wednesday 10th June with the fostering taxi around the borough with local foster carers handing out leaflets to local shoppers and local businesses.
Wendy Meikle, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People, said:
“Stockport is still seeing children coming into care and we are committed to recruiting more foster carers for children of all ages but in particular people who can open their heart, and their homes, to vulnerable older 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. A childhood is too short to waste, and foster carers can help those who haven’t had the best start to begin to enjoy their life and grow into the adults that they want to be.”
Stockport is delighted to be supporting foster care fortnight which is a good opportunity to raise awareness of fostering and I would encourage anyone interested in becoming a foster carer to contact the Council’s fostering team for more information”
The Council holds monthly open evenings at Stockport Town Hall for people interested in the different types of fostering schemes. The next open evening is taking place on Tuesday 2nd June, Stockport Town Hall, starting at 6pm and finishing at 7.30 pm.
People can also contact the Council’s Fostering team on 0161 474 3400 or visit the website www.stockport.gov.uk/fostering