Change lives by becoming a foster carer

Bridgend County Borough Council is marking Foster Care Fortnight (14 – 28 May) by highlighting the need to recruit more foster carers to help transform children’s lives.

The annual Foster Care Fortnight campaign provides the ideal opportunity to break down some of the myths surrounding who is and who isn’t eligible to foster.

The truth is that you don’t have to already be a parent, or be in a relationship, nor do you need to own your home. The fact that you might live in rented accommodation, are single, work full time, or are part of a same sex couple won’t rule you out. You don’t need qualifications in childcare either.

What you do need is to be committed, patient, warm, nurturing, flexible, and honest. You must be able to provide a stable and loving family environment so that children and young people can reach their full potential with confidence.

We have a real need for more prospective foster carers to come forward and find out more about the role. Our fostering service, Bridgend Foster Care, provides placements for children and young people who, through no fault of their own, can no longer stay with their birth families.

More than half of our foster carers are aged fifty to fifty nine, while 83 per cent are aged over forty. But there is no reason why many more people aged under 40 shouldn’t consider fostering if they feel they have the right attributes as anyone aged over 21 is eligible.

Foster carers come from all walks of life, just like the children who need to be looked after. I would urge anyone who is interested to speak to the Bridgend Foster Care team for some confidential and friendly advice.

Councillor Phil White, Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help

Among the local residents fostering with Bridgend Foster Care is Kerry Galton. Explaining what it means to be a foster carer, Kerry said: “Every child deserves opportunities to be the best they can be. Fostering is about giving young people the things they need to find their wings and fly."

Putting her experience into words, foster carer Becky Walsh, said: “The satisfaction to see a young person own their identity, be confident about who they are and feel that they are an important part of our family is indescribable.”

New foster carers receive a whole range of ongoing support from both seasoned foster carers and the widely experienced and qualified Foster Care Team at Bridgend County Borough Council.

Councillor White added: “Bridgend Foster Care is Bridgend County Borough’s biggest family. If you have what it takes, join our family and make a huge difference to the lives of children that need it.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about fostering, you can have a chat with a member of the fostering team and a current foster carer at the Bridgend Life Centre between 5:30pm and 7:30pm on Thursday 24 May. You can also call the team on 01656 642674, email bridgendfostercare@bridgend.gov.uk or fill in an enquiry form from Bridgend County Borough Council's foster care website.

Foster Care Fortnight is organised by fostering charity ‘The Fostering Network’. Find out more about the annual campaign by using the hashtag #FCF18 on social media.