Suffolk Fostering Service launches first in a series of fostering recruitment campaigns
Suffolk County Council’s Fostering Service will launch a series of campaigns over the coming months to encourage more Suffolk residents to become foster carers. 820 children currently live in care in Suffolk and there is an urgent need for more people to come forward to foster. Suffolk Fostering Service is the longest established provider of fostering services in the county, offering competitive fees, 24-hour support services and up to 21 days paid leave per year. Teenagers in care have often gone through a great deal in their lives and this campaign aims to give an honest reflection of what it takes to be a foster carer and the rewards that can come as a result. The campaign is accompanied by a new promotional video providing an insight into what it takes to be a foster carer for teenagers and the positive difference they make to a young person’s life. The video addresses why the application process can be timely and thorough, describing how the vulnerability of the children in care makes the timeframe absolutely necessary. It also makes clear that the robustness and intensity of the process is equally there to benefit and protect the prospective foster carer, ensuring that they are fully prepared and certain of the commitment they are making. Suffolk residents are being asked to consider whether they have the patience, compassion and the spare room required to provide a child with the secure home life they need. Please visit www.fosterandadopt.suffolk.gov.uk