Northern Ireland wide appeal for foster carers | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Northern Ireland wide appeal for foster carers

More Health and Social Care foster carers are needed across Northern Ireland in each of the five HSC Trust areas to provide safe, stable and loving homes for vulnerable children and young people for as long as they need them.

If you become an approved foster carer for the Southern HSC Trust you will receive financial allowances and support to meet the needs of the child you are caring for.

You will also have 24 hour social work support and on-going training to assist you in developing skills to care for childfoster2ren who become “Looked After”.

Fostering is caring for a child or young person in your own home while their parents are unable to look after them. Currently in Northern Ireland there are almost 2200 Looked After Children (LAC) living in foster care.

Foster carers are ordinary people who make an extraordinary difference to the lives of children and young people in foster care. “As a family, we have gained more from fostering than we ever thought possible,” commented Laura and Mark, HSC foster carers.

You can apply to foster regardless of race, religion, language, culture, gender, disability, age and sexual orientation. Foster carers come from all walks of life and may be married, single or have a partner. You may own or rent your home, work or claim benefits, and may or may not have children of your own.

In the Southern Trust area there are approximately 400 looked after children with on average 8 children coming into care every month. The Trust is currently seeking to recruit foster carers across the region who can commit to providing respite care as well as those interested in fostering a child on a short-term or long-term foster basis.

Una Carragher, Manager of HSC Regional Adoption and Fostering Service said, “There are members of the public who could make a real difference to the life of a child or young person.

“However, we know that many people consider fostering but rule themselves out on myths and misbeliefs. We appeal to anyone with an interest to find out more information before ruling yourself out.”

If you feel you have the time and space in your life to foster a child for the Southern HSC Trust find out more by contacting the Southern HSC Trust Family Placement Service 028 3833 7181 (managed by Sheila Smyth Lead for recruitment in the Southern Trust) and ask to speak to one of the social work staff on the team.

Alternatively you can call HSC Regional Adoption and Fostering Service on 0800 0720 137 or enquire online.

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Posted by on Oct 7 2015. Filed under Community, What's On. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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