TOGETHER TRUST SUPPORTS DIVERSITY IN FOSTERING

Marketing Stockport charity member, the Together Trust, is supporting LGBT Adoption and Fostering Week 2016 to celebrate diversity in fostering across the UK.

The charity’s fostering service has been established for over 18 years and sees over 400 referrals of young people needing homes each month.

By welcoming foster carer applications from people with a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, the Together Trust is able to find a mix of loving individuals and families who best fit the range of young people who need care.

Kieren and Wayne (pictured) have been fostering with the charity for almost three years and are a perfect example of the type of loving foster carers who work with the Together Trust. Fostering is not a decision to be taken lightly, however it can be an extremely rewarding experience as the couple have learnt.

The Together Trust, which offers care, support and special education to young people and families in the North West, believes that everyone has an equal chance in life . They support young people with behavioural problems, learning difficulties, physical disabilities and autism spectrum conditions.

When Kieren and Wayne first fostered Jonah* he had very little routine, and regularly had outbursts making it difficult for him to sleep. After time, Jonah started to build a bond with his new foster parents and began to settle in, becoming a much calmer and happy young child.

Wayne said, “We have seen where Jonah was when he first came to live with us and the huge progress that he has made, to be where he is now and this is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a foster carer.”

Jonah went on to be placed with a family with the same ethnic origin, however this unfortunately was unsuccessful and he wished to return to his home with Kieren and Wayne. With support from both the Together Trust cultural adviser and his social worker, Jonah settled back into family life with ease.

Jonah is now with Kieren and Wayne long term and has changed schools, his behaviour has improved dramatically and is he making excellent progress in all aspects of his life such as school and in extracurricular activities.

Wayne added, “Jonah is such a lovely little boy, he still has outbursts but this is due to his early life experiences of neglect. His outbursts are now less frequent and are reducing as he gets older and continues to feel safe with us. He is an exceptionally warm, caring, loving little boy with a wonderful sense of humour and a thirst for knowledge.

“We have a great support network through the Together Trust with support groups, annual activities, holidays and a wonderful social worker who is supportive and full of ideas on how to develop Jonah and ourselves to our full potential.”

As a not for profit fostering agency, the Together Trust offers 24/7 access to its support which also includes new foster carers being mentored by experienced foster carers and having access to the charity’s clinical psychologists and more.

Garry Williams, Principal Manager of the Together Trust Fostering Service, said, “Becoming a foster carer is such as fantastic opportunity to really make a difference to a child or young person’s life.

“We encourage applications from a diverse range of people in order to have the best chance to meet the needs of the varied young people we support.”

The Together Trust offers emergency, short and long term placements as well as specific placements for sibling groups and children and young people with physical and learning difficulties. The service is also able to facilitate parent and child placements, and offers respite for parents and carers alike.

For more information on fostering with the Together Trust call our team of experts on 0161 217 1000 or visit www.togethertrust.org.uk.