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Ross hails Foster Care Fortnight campaign


By Alan Beresford

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MORAY MP Douglas Ross is supporting Foster Care Fortnight 2021, which aims to spread awareness about the need for more people to consider becoming foster carers.

Douglas Ross MP.
Douglas Ross MP.

The event is due to run until May 23.

Mr Ross said: “Foster carers make such a difference to the lives of young people and they deserve our thanks and support for everything they do.

“With 500 new foster carers needed across Scotland, this could be the ideal opportunity for people to come forward and change the life of a child who cannot live with their birth family and needs care. That’s why I am supporting this campaign to recruit more foster carers here in Moray.

“Being a foster carer is about more than just providing love for children, it is about the skills you bring to ensure that you can support children to develop, achieve and thrive. Foster carers need to have listening, observational, and communications skills, as well as a warm and engaging personality.

"They must be able to offer stability and be a team player.

“By becoming a foster carer, you become part of a community who are dedicating their lives to improve the opportunities for others.”

Sara Lurie, Director of Scotland, The Fostering Network, explained that during the pandemic more than 3500 families provided stable and loving homes to 4750 children across Scotland but that more foster parents are desperately needed.

She continued: “It has been a very difficult year, and despite the personal, practical and emotional challenges that the pandemic has brought, foster carers have continued to nurture, love, care for and educate children and young people who can’t live with their birth families.

"I have remained in awe by the commitment and determination I have seen from foster families throughout this year and wish to extend my warmest appreciation. Thank you.”

If you feel you have the compassion, skills and the belief in children to be a foster carer and want to find out more visit https://thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/could-you-foster

Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign, delivered by leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network. It has taken place every year for almost 20 years, with the campaign showcasing the commitment, passion and dedication of foster carers.

The event also supports fostering services to highlight the need for more foster carers.

Hundreds of new foster families are needed every year in Scotland to care for children and young people unable to live with their birth families.

Currently, the greatest need is for foster carers for sibling groups, following the new regulatory requirements coming into force in July to place brothers and sisters together where safe to do so and support the maintenance of sibling or sibling-like relationships for children in care.



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