Banners are popping up across Nottinghamshire urging residents to consider fostering, as the county council steps up its drive to find loving homes for local children.
Nottinghamshire County Council has launched a high-visibility banner campaign in the run-up to Foster Care Fortnight, the national celebration of foster carers and the difference they make to vulnerable young lives. The banners -- carrying the simple but powerful message "Could you foster?" -- are appearing on roadsides across the county, including along the A614.
For some, those banners have already changed lives. Paula, who has been fostering alongside her husband for over 12 years, credits one such sign with setting her on the path to becoming a carer.
"I was on my way back from work, coming down the A614, and there were the banners at the side of the road," she recalls. "I'd never really thought about fostering before that. It genuinely felt like somebody was sending me a sign. I spoke to my husband and said, 'Shall we find out more?' -- and that's exactly what we did."
A Regional Effort to Find More Carers
Nottinghamshire County Council is working as part of Foster for East Midlands Councils, a partnership with Nottingham City Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council, with the shared goal of recruiting more foster carers across the region.
The council emphasises that fostering locally keeps children connected to their schools, friends and extended family -- a vital factor in providing stability during what can be an unsettling time in a child's life.
Councillor Rory Green, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said the council was determined to grow its fostering community.
"Foster carers play a massive role in the lives of vulnerable children and young people," he said. "It really is the greatest gift an adult can give. If you have space in your heart and in your home, do get in touch. It takes one minute of your time to register your interest."
Could You Help?
The council is keen to hear from anyone across the Retford area and wider Nottinghamshire who is curious about fostering, regardless of whether they have considered it seriously before -- just as Paula hadn't until she spotted a banner on her commute.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Foster for East Midlands Councils or call 03033 132 950.
Foster Care Fortnight is a national campaign run annually to raise awareness of fostering and celebrate the contribution of foster carers across the UK.