City celebrates unsung heroes with Foster Care Fortnight drop-in sessions
Foster Care Fortnight celebrations kick off
Unsung heroes who foster children during tough times in their life are being celebrated with two weeks of events.
Foster Portsmouth, which is a Portsmouth City Council service, is honoring the unmatched work that foster carers do with its annual Foster Care Fortnight, which takes place between May 11 and May 24.
As part of the two-week celebration, Foster Portsmouth will be holding a drop-in session on Sunday, May 24 between 11am and 3pm at Southsea Castle, where people can access information about fostering a child.
There will be games with prizes, a free popcorn stand and refreshments, and most importantly the chance to ask real carers what it's like to foster in Portsmouth.
Jo Austin has been caring for teenagers with additional needs with Foster Portsmouth for the last 14 years.
She said:"I think the best thing about fostering is, we've learned over time that we're making a big difference to the young people coming into our homes. We're not only helping them but we're improving our own lives. It's an extraordinary role.
“To anyone who's thinking about fostering I would say pick up the phone or send us an email, because we can answer all your questions and we'd love you to come on board."
Additional drop-in sessions are as follows:
- Wednesday 13 May, 11am-3pm, Waitrose Havant
- Tuesday 19 May, 11am-1pm, Tesco North Harbour
- Friday 22 May, 11am-1pm, Waitrose Southsea
- Sunday 24 May, 7.7.45pm, virtual cuppa with carer
As part of the council’s ongoing work to support children, a new 'Belong Hub' has also recently launched, which is now looking for new carers to look after a young person with a therapeutic need. It is open for people who work or have experience of care, or a background in early years, youth work, social care, health or education.
Cllr Nicholas Dorrington, cabinet member for children, families and education, said: "Our mission is for more local children to be cared for by local foster carers living in Portsmouth. At the moment, that's not always possible, and some children have to live out of this area because of a lack of local options.
“So we need to recruit more foster carers so children in our care get the stability they need of staying in their community."
Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said: “Foster Care Fortnight is an opportunity to say thank you to foster carers for their incredible dedication, while also calling on the Government for much needed change in the system.
“We currently need thousands more foster carers across the UK to meet the needs of children - but this is about far more than numbers. Children need stability after experiencing significant trauma, and foster carers cannot provide that without proper support.”