Every day in Wales there are five children in need of foster care.
As families across the country struggle with the ongoing cost of living crisis, Foster Wales is calling on employers in Wales to become ‘fostering friendly’, in hope of addressing the misconception that you cannot continue working if you become a foster carer.
This Foster Care Fortnight TM (15th-28th May), The Fostering Network, the UK’s leading fostering charity, and local authority fostering services in Wales are calling on the wider business community to lend their support and make it easier for their employees to combine fostering and working.
According to the Fostering Network, nearly 40% of foster carers combine fostering with other work and their ‘fostering friendly’ policy encourages employers to provide flexibility and time off for employees who are prospective foster carers and are going through the application process.
The scheme also supports employees who are already foster carers, to allow time off for training, attendance at panels, to settle a new child into their home and to respond to any emergencies which may arise.
Having the support of an employer may make the vital difference in the decision of an employee to become a foster carer.
Head of Foster Wales, Alastair Cope, said:
“As the need for foster carers continues to grow, we need our community in Wales to step up.
“We know that when children stay connected, stay local and have someone to stick by them for the long term, we see better outcomes.
“So, if employers in Wales can support their employees in becoming foster carers, local authorities can help more children stay connected to their roots and ultimately, support them towards better futures.”
To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Wales visit fosterwales.gov.wales
To become a fostering friendly employer, get in touch with The Fostering Network fosteringfriendly@fostering.net to find out more.
