Sandwell Children’s Trust are teaming up with other organisations, including Sandwell Council and The Fostering Network, to support Foster Care Fortnight.
In the borough, and across the rest of the UK, hundreds of foster carers open their homes to provide love, stability, and care to children and young people in need of safety, stability and love.
But many more foster carers are urgently needed to ensure every child can be matched with the right home for their individual needs. That’s why until 24 May, Sandwell Children’s Trust is backing the nationwide Foster Care Fortnight campaign.
Emma Taylor, Chief Executive of Sandwell Children’s Trust said: “Foster Care Fortnight is really important because it shines a light on the incredible impact of foster carers and encourages more people to consider joining Sandwell’s biggest family.
"It’s also a chance to say a big thank you to all foster carers for their remarkable dedication to children and young people in Sandwell.
“Our fostering team will be out and about in Sandwell during Foster Care Fortnight, but the need for good people to step forward and become foster carers, doesn’t end when the campaign finishes.
"We need foster carers for Sandwell’s most vulnerable children and young people at all times of the year. So, if you’re thinking about fostering – come and talk to us.”
Sally Giles, Executive Director of Children and Education Services for Sandwell Council added: “We are pleased that children’s services in the borough are now recognised as ‘Good’ –and we know how critical it is to find the next generation of foster carers to support our children and young people now and for the future.
"Foster Care Fortnight has a really important message – and our campaign to recruit foster carers to join Sandwell’s biggest family will continue week in, week out as we need safe, stable, loving homes all year round.”
Throughout Foster Care Fortnight, voices from across the fostering community will be sharing stories that raise awareness of their daily experiences. For foster carers, this could be the small moments that matter - helping a child build trust, getting them ready for a new school or adjusting their approach each time a child arrives.
The aim is to show what fostering really involves - the skill, judgement and resilience it takes to provide safe, consistent care for children. By sharing these stories, we can raise awareness of what it truly takes to be a foster carer, and why it needs to be properly valued and supported.
Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said: “The UK is in urgent need of more foster carers. Each year, we are losing more carers than we are gaining, and that simply isn’t sustainable.
"This Foster Care Fortnight, we will be encouraging people to consider fostering while saying a big thank you to our existing foster carers for everything they do."
You don’t need to be a foster carer to support Foster Care Fortnight, just follow Foster Sandwell on social media, and help spread the word by liking and sharing their posts. The more people who hear about the life-changing impact of fostering, the greater the chance of finding more homes for the children and young people who need them.
Foster carers are urgently needed to provide safe, nurturing homes - whether for a night, a few months, or several years. By fostering, you can make a lasting difference in a young person’s life.
To find out more about Foster Care Fortnight and how to become a foster carer visit fostersandwell.co.uk or call 0800 358 0899.
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