FtSE Member News: Barnardo’s plea for more foster carers

Fostering and Adoption Week 2016

This Barnardo’s Fostering and Adoption Week (11th-17th January), the children’s charity is  issuing a heartfelt plea for would-be-foster carers to give children the stable, loving care they deserve.

Everyone deserves a childhood where they remember feeling unconditionally loved and accepted. Tragically, this is not the case for some children who through no fault of their own, cannot live with their parent/s. When life gets tough, they need a caring adult to look after them.

Around 9070 new foster families are needed across the UK in 2016 to provide stable, loving care for these children, according to the Fostering Network. *

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:

“Across the UK ordinary people are doing something extraordinary: opening their hearts to help children feel secure and loved. More foster carers are desperately needed to give these children loving, stable care. You could be one of them.”

Barnardo’s celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2016. The charity was one of the first to place children with families and train foster carers to have the right skills to look after children.

Brenda Farrell, head of fostering and adoption at Barnardo's, said:

“Our foster carers are changing children’s lives for the better. You don’t have to be a saint or a superhero, you just need to be able to offer a child the loving care they need to help them be themselves at a difficult time.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering a child can get in touch with the local Barnardo’s foster care team. Barnardo’s supports foster carers every step of the way, so they don’t do it alone. Find out more by calling Freephone 0800 0277 280 or at www.barnardos.org.uk/fostering.

* Source: Fostering Network 
9,070 fostering families are needed right across the UK in 2016, to give loving homes and supportive family environments to children. This breaks down as:

Northern Ireland 170
Wales 500
Scotland 800
England 7600
North East 475
North West 1300
Yorkshire and the Humber 775
East Midlands 550
West Midlands 1000
East of England 650
London 1150
South East 1100
South West 600


TOTAL: 9070

Source:
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/news/Barnardo8217s_plea_for_more_foster_carers/latest-news.htm?ref=112830

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