Christmas can be an extremely challenging time for children and young people who cannot safely live at home - across the East of England there are 7000 children in care. That’s an additional classroom’s worth of children coming into care every week.
Cambridgeshire is currently seeing a shortage of foster carers, and with many children in Cambridgeshire currently awaiting a foster home, Cambridgeshire County Council is appealing for residents to come forward to help reduce these numbers.
Fostering for your council helps children to stay rooted in their community, close to their friends and family. Councils are at the heart of children’s social services, with great support networks and in-depth training, all delivered locally to you.
Foster carers come from all walks of life; they can have their own children living at home, can own pets, own or rent their homes, work full-time or part-time, or foster full time. You must be over 21 to foster, but there is no upper age limit. Foster carers can be single people or couples.
Here’s Anne, a foster carer in Cambridgeshire, talking about why she’s a foster carer for the council and what’s involved.
Watch Anne's fostering message on YouTube.
Cllr Bryony Goodliffe said: “In Cambridgeshire we currently have high numbers of children in our care; we place as many of these children as we can with our wonderful foster families. However, due to the current shortage of foster carers, not all those children will have the family Christmas they deserve this year.”
“Children come into care for all sorts of reasons. Their parents may be taken ill, involved in an accident, arrested, or they might not be able to care for their children. Children might only need care for a few weeks, but when there is no-one else available to look after them, foster families are essential.”
“We urgently need more foster carers to join us, so that every child in care can live in a family home.”
If you think you could open up your home to help a child or young person in need of care, get in touch: Fostering & adoption | Cambridgeshire County Council
And if you’re interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer, read more about what’s involved at www.fostereast.org.uk or call Foster East on 0330 024 1177.
