A national campaign is shining a spotlight on the urgent need for more foster carers.
West Dunbartonshire HSCP is championing Foster Care Fortnight, running from May 11 to 24, led by The Fostering Network, which aims to raise awareness of the vital role of fostering while encouraging more people to open their homes to children and young people in need.
It also serves as an opportunity to thank existing foster carers and call for improvements across the sector.
This year’s theme, This is Fostering, highlights the everyday realities and challenges of foster care, celebrating the skill, resilience and compassion required to change young lives.
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Sarah Thomas, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: "The UK is in urgent need of more foster carers.
"Each year, we are losing more carers than we are gaining, and that simply isn’t sustainable.
"This Foster Care Fortnight, we will be encouraging people to consider fostering while saying a big thank you to our existing foster carers for everything they do.
"However, retaining existing foster carers is just as important as recruiting new ones.
"There is urgent need for change within the fostering system to ensure it’s sustainable for foster carers and the children they care for.
"We will be calling on the government to listen to foster carers across the UK and to help build a system in which they are truly valued and receive the support they need."
The Fostering Network has urged the public to help by spreading the word on social media, as the more people who learn about fostering, the greater the chance of finding loving homes for children in care.
Throughout the campaign, members of the fostering community will share personal stories to illustrate the rewards and realities of fostering.
These could include helping a child settle into a new home, building trust, or preparing for a new school.
Their stories aim to showcase the skill, judgement and resilience required to support children through often difficult transitions.
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By sharing these experiences, The Fostering Network hopes to give the wider public a realistic understanding of what fostering entails, and why it needs to be properly valued and supported.
Supporters of Foster Care Fortnight do not need to be carers themselves.
The Fostering Network encourages everyone to like and share their posts online to help spread awareness.
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