The new campaign aims to raise awareness about the different ways to foster and how these often considered “challenging” types of fostering can suit individuals and families.
There are more than 7,000 children in the care system in Wales, but only 3,800 foster families. Foster Wales Blaenau Gwent aims to recruit many more foster carers to meet the needs of local children in care.
In preparation for the January 2024 campaign ‘Bring something to the table’ Foster Wales has spoken to over 100 people – including foster carers, social workers, teachers, members of the public, and care leavers.
The responses from these groups highlighted three key things stopping potential carers from enquiring:
- A lack of confidence in their skills and ability to support a child in care.
- The belief that fostering doesn’t fit with certain lifestyles.
- Misconceptions around the criteria to become a carer.
This autumn, Foster Wales Blaenau Gwent – part of the national network of 22 Welsh local authority fostering teams – continues the national campaign ‘Bring Something to the Table’ launched in January. This time the aim is to highlight the specific fostering needs that the local authority struggles to address.
By utilising our greatest asset – current foster carers – we want to highlight skills and attributes that help them provide loving homes to children or groups considered more ‘challenging’, like a Parent and Child, Sibling Groups, Teenagers, Children with a disability, and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and Young People (UASC). These attributes are small but significant in transforming the lives of children in their care. Patience, good communication skills, curiosity, a sense of humour or the ability to adapt, among many other characteristics, can make you a great foster carer.
“We already had all the skills we needed to become foster carers – and more people need to know they have the skills too”.
Mike, who fosters young refugees in need of safety and guidance said, “I’m looking after two boys from Afghanistan, both 16 years old. They've settled in really well. They love playing sports. They’re a real pleasure to be around. We've shared our culture with them, and they've shared their culture with us. It's been a real positive experience for me, learning about them, teaching them about us and showing, that we've got so much in common that it's not really them and us, it's just us.”
Kim and Phil who offer Parent and Child fostering said, “Offering a Parent and Child placement is involved, but we loved it; it’s the best kind of fostering. We supported mum with her parenting skills, rather than only being foster carers to children. Things like showing mum how to feed the baby and talk to them at the same time. There was a lot of nurturing going on.”
The campaign begins on Monday 7 October across digital, and social media, and with various events in local communities across Blaenau Gwent and Gwent region.
For more information about fostering, or to enquire, visit:
Foster Wales Blaenau Gwent
Family Resource Centre
Beaufort Road
Ebbw Vale
NP23 5LH