Appeal for fosterers to step up

A national fostering agency is urging people to consider becoming a foster parent despite the current COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest statistics released by the ONS and Ofsted, as of March 2019, there were 55,000 children in care, an increase of 3 per cent compared to March 2018. As such, there are thousands of children in need of a supportive, nurturing home, and the number continues to rise.

However, with the focus of the nation elsewhere, those vulnerable young people could struggle to find a stable and supportive home if prospective foster parents do not get in touch.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Craig Clark, from Orange Grove Fostercare Leeds, said: “There are countless children in need of a loving home where they can receive the support they desperately require. During these unprecedented times, we have taken steps to ensure that those considering fostering can continue to move forward with their fostering application, and we urge them to get in touch with us as soon as possible.

“We’d like to reassure individuals that home visits and assessments are now being conducted virtually via video calls to remove the need for contact between either party, ensuring everyone can remain safe and well.”

“If you can offer stability and a nurturing home environment to a foster child, please consider picking up the phone to talk through any questions you may have. You could change someone’s life.”

Orange Grove Fostercare is an independent fostering agency which currently takes care of 400 children across the South East, Midlands, North West and Yorkshire. If you would like to find out more about fostering with Orange Grove, call 0800 3698513 or visit www.orangegrovefostercare.co.uk.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.