To coincide with National Storytelling Week (29 Jan to 5 Feb), South Gloucestershire Council has launched a campaign to recruit new foster carers and find loving homes for children and young people in care.
National Storytelling Week is The Society for Storytelling’s annual campaign to celebrate the power of stories, so foster carers and members of the Council’s fostering team have created videos to share their story and encourage people to consider stepping into the rewarding role of a foster carer.
Our foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds and professions, but what unites them all is a desire and ability to help and support children and young people in care to fulfil their potential, giving them the best chance of a happy and stable childhood, and a successful future.
Wes has been a foster carer for four years and before that adopted his four-year-old son, who is now a teenager. He said: “I just knew I could provide a similar, stable home as I did with my son when I adopted. It was the best decision I made; it’s been a fantastic journey so far. From the income to the support you get, it’s helpful and there’s lots of training available and lots of things you can learn.
“I’ve had a young person with me for around three years which is ideal – the best situation for us. If I had more room, I would also consider short term placements. My advice is that if you are considering it, talk to people you know or find people to talk to who might have fostered so you can get some advice or ask any questions. Good luck, it’s definitely the best choice.” Learn more about his story here https://youtu.be/y8m6i7Vhp-4
Julie has been a foster carer for five years, she had dreams of becoming a foster carer for many years before finally deciding to register her details. Julie said: “I had wanted to be a foster carer for quite a few years, and I did look into it. I was married at the time and my children were a lot younger, but it didn’t seem the right time for our family. When my husband and I split-up, I thought it was the end of that dream, but then I thought no, I’m going to do this and I made the call. I worked as a Teaching Assistant in a Primary School for ten years and a boy in our class had been in foster care and the difference it made to that child was unbelievable. That was what did it for me and I’ve never looked back since.” Hear more about Julie’s story here https://youtu.be/gwXtHs1_mIk.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Sam Bromiley said: “Being a foster carer is a unique and rewarding role where you can have such a positive influence on the lives of children and young people, some of whom may not have had the easiest of starts in life. We are continually looking for people who can join us as foster carers to help keep children in their own communities and provide a safe and stable environment to help them to grow and develop.
“If you are interested in becoming a foster carer and would like to write your own story around supporting a child or young person in care, I strongly encourage you to contact the Council’s fostering team to find out more information. I would like to personally thank the foster carers and staff that have come forward to share their stories to support this campaign.”
Aimee Williams, South Gloucestershire Council’s Interim Service Manager for Fostering and Adoption wrote a poem for the Principle Social Work Network to illustrate that social work is more than a job to her https://youtu.be/JYcmE2Iek20
Another of our foster carers, Sue, talked to us about her experience of becoming a foster family. Learn more about more about how she became a foster carer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQRKYjrWPF0
More stories of our foster carers can be followed throughout National Story Telling week on our website www.fostersouthglos.org.uk and by following us on social media https://www.facebook.com/Bthere2care
If you would like to know more about becoming a foster carer in South Gloucestershire, please call the Fostering Team on 01454 866423 or visit www.fostersouthglos.org.uk
