[R]ight now in Barrow there is an urgent need for more foster carers to provide supportive, safe and happy homes for children who can no longer live with their birth families and have come into the care of the Local Authority.
Cumbria County Council are now campaigning during Foster Care Fortnight and hope to find more new foster carers, the latest campaign backed by local foster carers sets out to invite local people to join Cumbria’s biggest family and do something incredible for children in need in their area.
This current campaign is now leading up to an information event taking place at The Imperial Hotel, Barrow. The event taking place this Saturday (13th) begins at 10.30am with a short presentation from the council’s fostering experts and local foster carers.
Chris and Heather Torkington, county council foster carers from Barrow, said:
“We first thought about fostering during Foster Care Fortnight about 8 years ago now.
“After a year of fostering with an independent agency and feeling unsupported we moved over to foster with the county council.
“We now feel part of a ‘family’, we can go to meetings with other local foster carers, share our experiences with each other and there’s more people to listen to us.
“We’ve fostered short term, long-term and are now helping with the emergency fostering scheme.
“If you want to foster, don’t hold yourself back, go for it with the help of the council.”
The council is looking for carers for children of all ages and is asking if you believe you have the skills to make a positive change to the lives of children and young people, then consider becoming a foster carer.
For anyone considering fostering they can be assured that the county council and its foster carers will be with you at every step. Now is the perfect time to find out more at an information event where people can meet our carers and find out more about the types of fostering, the children and the training and support available.
Members of the public can also find out more about fostering and whether it could be right for them at www.cumbria.gov.uk/fostering or by calling 0303 333 1216.
Event – Saturday 13 May (10.30am) The Imperial Hotel, Barrow