When last we wrote in 2016 there were around 9,000 Foster families still being sought right across the UK. In 2017, the nation now needs over this number of new families to provide foster homes. Although the figure is extremely challenging, it remains the truth that all the agencies and authorities are striving to attract new foster carers. At Rainbow Fostering we have started the year with a new marketing drive to recruit more carers for 2017. At the half way point, we can report this is going well, but it is true to say that the task is not getting any easier. As a leading London based independent fostering agency, we are far from being complacent: although it is true all children who need a foster family have one, the situation remains a long way from being satisfactory. Some children face a situation where they are living a long way from their family, school and friends. Sibling groups are having to be split up and more young people are with foster carers without the skills and experience to address their specific needs. This clearly increases the risks associated with placement breakdowns. This all feeds into a cycle of disruption which militates against the continuity, security and stability all children and young persons need. The figures are not encouraging as over forty percent of fostered teenagers were already living with their third foster family since coming into care, and five percent are living with their tenth foster family: these figures were for 2016, but are likely to have risen this year. This means the pressures to find foster families for teenagers have increased significantly.

What is worth highlighting is the recent appeal of The Fostering Network to attract people into fostering who are aged under the age of thirty-five. This is evidence of the need to replenish the pool of experienced foster carers being lost through retirement. This is at a time just as the numbers of children coming into foster care have been rising inexorably. The loss of experience is simply not being replaced fast enough.

Getting the right message across is key as the ongoing and pressing need is for more people to come forward to foster teenagers, disabled children, sibling groups as well as unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Foster carers who choose to foster such children often report how rewarding; although challenging, the experience can be.

At Rainbow Fostering, one of the questions we always ask is “why do you want to become a foster parent?” Through looking closely at the motivations of people considering fostering children, we can more accurately identify those individuals likely to have the emotional resilience to support children and young people.

The latest fostering news is out!
The Rainbow Fostering ‘Read All About It’ news section on our website is worth a look if you are interested in fostering: keep informed about all the issues to do with being a foster carer…simply visit http://bit.ly/2e8PrIK

Our ‘Rainbow Foster Rewards’ are always worth investigating
At Rainbow Fostering we are always keen to meet with people who have been thinking about fostering children. Some people have a preference for fostering babies sibling groups – wherever your particular interest may lie, Rainbow Fostering makes available high quality advice, as well as support twenty four hours a day 365 days a year. Currently we will be happy to pay you £500 if you are able to refer someone to our agency: the bonus will be paid once that person has been approved and been given their first placement from us. Remember, too: any approved foster carer wanting to transfer over to Rainbow Fostering Services can also receive a generous bonus. Call our fostering recruitment team on 020 8427 3355 to discuss joining our Rainbow community. If you are local, or maybe not so local, we would always be delighted to welcome you to our offices for a friendly chat over a coffee about fostering: it might be the start of your future – as well as that of a vulnerable child or young person.

And the good news at the end of this particular rainbow…another of our music sessions is being held tonight on a lovely warm evening: it won’t be too long before we have our first ‘megastar’.

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