Home Local News All you need is love to help children in Lancashire

All you need is love to help children in Lancashire

0

Lancashire County Council’s fostering and adoption team has a wish-list for summer that’s very simple – to find loving homes for over 2,000 looked after children.

Running until Monday 27 August, the theme of the current summer campaign is permanence, focusing on the commitment of those who have successfully kept children on a long-term basis, including into adulthood.

The latest campaign hopes to catch the eye of potential foster carers and adoptive parents and nudge them into thinking about whether adopting or fostering a child might be for them.

There are many children in the county who for many reasons cannot live with their families, and most are looked after by foster carers.

Sometimes, with support in place, it’s felt that parents are able to care safely for their children and they can return home.

However, for some, returning home isn’t an option. At this point, finding a home where a child can live happily and permanently becomes a priority.

Ahmed became a foster carer in 2011, and during this time he and his wife have fostered a variety of children and young people of different ages and from different backgrounds, including one long-term placement.

Ahmed said: “We started fostering because we had love in our hearts, space in our home and the desire to support children from all backgrounds and faiths. Fostering was also recommended to us by friends.

“Fostering has changed our lives for the good as a family. We have a more positive outlook on life and appreciate what we have. Seeing the children that are currently staying with us long-term progress and achieve in life has really been very positive.

“The young people that have been placed with us have had issues ranging from not knowing how to play, and not knowing about personal care, to having to learn a new language.

“We have been able to address all of these concerns with support from social work staff. Although there have been hiccups along the way, it is incredible when you see the difference you can make to these young lives. A wonderful example of this is an 11 –year-old girl that we were fostering. She struggled to communicate and ask for things because she was so used to every request she made being refused. We turned this around by praising and rewarding her when she achieved something, or behaved positively.

“Two girls of the Hindu faith came to us when they were aged six and seven and are firmly part of our family as they are still with us seven years later. They had health issues largely because they hadn’t had the benefit of a balanced diet or access to a normal range of foods. Within a few months of eating properly they were well again.

“Being foster carers has let us meet people, have experiences and do things we’d never have done. We’re on a wonderful journey that has allowed us to actually turn lives around along the way.

“My advice to anyone thinking about being a foster carer or an adoptive parent would be – definitely explore it, be true to yourself and honest about what you can cope with, but don’t be afraid of pushing yourself and taking a risk. I bet that you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it before.”

Adoptive parents and foster carers are needed to come forward for the children and young people in the care of the county council, and particularly for older children and sibling groups.

County Councillor Susie Charles, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, said: “We need people to provide stable and loving homes for children and young people who cannot live with their own families, both on a temporary and permanent basis.

“We always need more foster carers and adoptive parents from all walks of life, and I want to remind people that we welcome applications from people of all ages, single, married, cohabiting, in same-sex relationships, with or without their own children, working or not.

“What the children and young people need most of all is to be with people who have a caring nature, who enjoy being with children and have a determination to see it through. Our children need people to stand by them.

“To be considered as foster carers or adoptive parents, people need to be over 21, and living in or close to Lancashire.”

The county council recognises that adoptive families require support at different times, even when the adoption has taken place, and provides a range of support services and advice.

A package of support is available 24/7 to help foster carers in their role, including local support groups, their own social worker, a helpline and flexible training.

Out of hours support for foster carers is available via a dedicated helpline staffed by experienced social workers. Training is flexible including during school hours, evenings and weekends and online, and can be tailored to the needs of any child.

To find out more about fostering or adoption, please get in touch on 0300 123 6723.

Alternatively, visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/adoption or www.lancashire.gov.uk/fostering

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here