attracting and keeping carers

The fallout from the media storm on the plight of Syrian refugees continues to resonate. Over 9,000 members of the public pledged their support to helping a refugee or family.

Many of you will have already seen the news that as of 31 July 2015, the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, BAAF, has closed. The Fostering Network has been proud to stand with BAAF and their staff in campaigning for changes in legislation and guidance that will have a positive effect on children and young people for generations to come.

I’ve managed to catch up with a number of you post Foster Care Fortnight™ and have been delighted to hear about all of the activity that took place. Please spare 10 or so minutes to complete the Foster Care Fortnight™​ evaluation survey if you haven’t already done so.

Foster Care Fortnight 2015 saw a tidal wave of fostering and orange has swept across the UK thanks to you and your foster carers.

February saw the publication of The Fostering Network’s new recruitment target for 2015. The figure, 8,370, reflects the continued rise of children coming into care, the significant numbers of foster carers leaving the service in the past year and a factor to allow sufficient placement choice.

October kicked off with The Fostering Network’s annual showcase event, our conference which this year carried the theme of ‘The future of foster care – a focus on children and young people’.

I feel a touch bereft this morning. While I know a number of you will be grateful for TV returning to relative normal, for me, the summer of sport so far has been incredible. Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix have come as standard, but this has of course been a football World Cup year. We’ve also had the Grand Départ from Yorkshire for the Tour de France, which was breathtaking. There is the small matter of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow so all is not completely lost.

And breathe… or maybe not if you’re part of the team processing enquiries, doing home visits and more. But this is a good thing. Hopefully you’ve achieved your expectations and received enquiries from people who could become just the type of foster carers you need. If not, get in touch and tell me why.