FtSE MEMBER NEWS: PACT - FOSTERING SERVICES LAUNCH A NEW CAMPAIGN TO FIND MORE FOSTER CARERS AND KEEP SIBLINGS TOGETHER

PARENTS And Children Together (PACT), Oxfordshire County Council and Tower Hamlets are launching a new fostering service choosefostering this week to encourage people to consider fostering sibling groups.


59%* of children in care have brothers and sisters also in care and sadly there aren’t enough foster carers who can take in sibling groups.

choosefostering is a new service which includes information, support and training for people who want to foster brothers and sisters and keep them together. This project has been supported by funding from the Department for Education.

This innovative consortium has produced a recruitment campaign including a cinema advert which will air in selected cinemas in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and London from 21st March for two weeks and is available to view on the campaign website www.choosefostering.org.

As well as the joy of caring for children, the role is supported with:

• Generous foster carer fees
• A retention payment for the weeks^ where the foster carers are waiting for children to move in.
• Specific training around caring for sibling groups
• A network of foster carer ambassadors – people who have fostered sibling groups for many years.
• Sibling foster carer support groups
• Out of hours telephone support

PACT’s Director of Adoption and Fostering Satwinder Sandhu said: “There is an ever growing need for people with space in their lives and in their homes to take in sibling groups.

“This campaign aims to let potential foster carers know about the rewards and the support for those who love children and feel the time is right for them to foster.

“Our current foster carers tell us that fostering sibling groups is hugely rewarding as brothers and sisters support each other and are usually more confident when they live together. 

“In fact, many of our experienced foster carers prefer to foster groups of children rather than a lone child and they thrive on a busy schedule and a full home.  

“I urge you to visit the website today or give us a call and find out more about fostering siblings.”

Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “We do all we can to keep brothers and sisters together when it is necessary for them to be taken out of the home of their birth family.

“This new campaign shows how different organisations can work together for the interests of our local people.”

Source:
http://www.pactcharity.org/news/179

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