MORE foster carers are needed in the county, to help meet the current demand, according to county fostering chiefs.
Following Foster Care Fortnight coming to a close, Worcestershire Fostering are continuing to encourage families to consider being a foster carer.
Currently, the Fostering Network says that 8,100 foster carers are needed nationally to meet the current demand, with up to 890 needed in the West Midlands.
Joanna Crow, and her husband Tim, have been short-term foster carers in Worcestershire for 25 years, and have fostered more than 40 children, ranging from babies up to 18 year olds and know full well the difference fostering can make.
The couple have enjoyed providing settled and stable homes for children allowing them their own space to develop their personalities and prepare for their next steps. Where possible they have encouraged them to maintain good relationships with their parents.
They too have maintained the relationships made, still being in regular contact with many of the children they have fostered, seeing them as an extension of their own family.
“Being a foster carer can be extremely rewarding: providing a child with a settled home, and seeing them develop their characters is a fantastic experience. Laughter and happiness really can be the best medicine for some children and a sign that they feel safe and secure. Fostering is also a great opportunity, whether it be short-term or long-term to see a person grow, both physically and mentally.”
“There are also periods of real challenge, but they provide life experiences which provide memories and growth for all involved in the process. The fostering community from the carers to the children is all about giving children and young people a fresh start in life and opening up for them new and positive possibilities.”
This year’s Foster Care fortnight coincided with the launch of Fostering’s film a film premiere of ‘There Was A Boy’.
The short film was produced following a collaboration of fostering services from 16 local councils and Trusts across the West Midlands in a bid to encourage people to consider fostering older children.
The three-minute film is both hard hitting and ultimately uplifting as it tells the story of Dan and the two possible courses his life can take. Two alternative realities, one with the benefit of foster carers and one without. One life with possibilities, one without.
For further information on becoming a foster carer and to watch ‘There Was A Boy’, visit www.worcestershirefostering.co.uk/therewasaboy
