Posted on Wednesday 8th January 2025
A new campaign by Staffordshire County Council’s Fostering Service hopes to find local families for some of the county’s most vulnerable children.
The start of a new year is often when families re-assess their situation or look for a new challenge. This year, the authority hopes that some families will consider fostering as a way of achieving their goal.
Every year, tens of thousands of children across the UK need someone to provide foster care and in Staffordshire alone, 60 more foster families need to be found this year.
Judith and Martin Voyle are Staffordshire foster carers and are supporting the latest campaign. Judith said:
“We’ve been fostering for five years now and it’s a wonderful thing to do.
“As a foster carer, you are never on your own and there’s always lots of support and training available. We also run a breakfast support group for foster carers ourselves, sharing our knowledge and supporting new foster carers, which is really important. Fostering is so rewarding and has transformed our lives. I’d definitely encourage people to take that first step to find out more about becoming a carer.”
Mark Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“When you hear about the amazing difference that fostering can make to a young person’s life, you’ll see why it’s such a wonderful thing to do.
“We all want to see children and young people who need to come into care, get the best possible start in life, and that’s exactly what you could do for a young person as an approved foster carer. Continuity is so important for a child, including giving them access to their extended family and their friends and school.
“All sorts of people from all walks of life can and do foster with us and you’re never on your own. There’s always advice on hand and lots of training available. And this year, we are especially looking for foster carers for teenagers, sibling groups and children with autism too, so please get in touch with the team if you think you can make a difference.”
Throughout January, the fostering team will be at the following locations, where people can find out more:
- 23 January, 10am to 12 noon at Hednesford Wetherspoons
- 24 January, 10am to 12.30pm, Costa Coffee, Queens Retail Park, Stafford
- 27 January, 10am to 12 noon, Northfield Centre, Stafford
- 30 January, 10am to 12.30pm, Burton Family Hub
The team will also be holding an online information event on Thursday 16 January from 6pm to 7pm. Anyone interested in fostering can find out more on the Foster for Staffordshire website.