More foster carers sought

A major campaign to recruit more foster carers for teenage children has been launched by Calderdale Council.

The appeal coincides with Foster Care Fortnight, which runs from May 16-29, and is the Fostering Network’s national campaign to raise the profile of fostering.

The campaign is using a number of different channels including radio adverts, posters, newspaper and magazine adverts and social media.

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The council’s fostering team will also be out in force over the summer, attending events and festivals to spread the message.

Coun Megan Swift, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Nationally there is a shortage of foster carers for teenagers, and Calderdale is no exception.

“Teenagers are sometimes overlooked by potential foster carers.

“There is often a misconception that they could be a handful, but that is rarely the case.

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“Many have not had a settled life and just want a family that can give them the love, trust and support that can help them achieve their potential.

“Our campaign emphasises this point with key messages such as ‘some see a handful, you see potential’ and ‘some see trouble, you see hope’.

“Fostering teenagers can be immensely rewarding and we have a number of families in Calderdale already doing this successfully.”

Foster carers receive financial assistance and the support of the fostering team and a wider network of foster carers, not to mention the feeling of doing something really rewarding.

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For more information, visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/fostering.

Between April 2014 and March 2015, there were 85,890 children and young people in foster placements, an increase of two percent from 2013-14.

On March 31, 2015, there were 36,890 fostering households, a decrease of one percent from the same date in 2014. In the same period, the number of family and

friends households increased by six percent to 4,145.

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