Shropshire Fostering shines a light on fostering with Shropshire Live

Andy Rao, Marketing and Events Manager at Shropshire Fostering, recently appeared on the Shropshire Live breakfast show with Chris Pritchard to highlight the vital work of fostering as part of Foster Care Fortnight, which runs until the 25th of this month.

Shropshire Fostering, part of Shropshire Council, is currently working with Shropshire Live across their online and on-air platforms to raise awareness of fostering opportunities in the local area.

Foster Care Fortnight is the UK's largest annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering. This year's theme, "The Power of Relationships," underscores the fundamental role that connections play in transforming the lives of children and young people in foster care.

During the interview, Andy explained how these crucial relationships can take many forms – from the bond between a foster carer and a child to the support provided by social workers and the peer-to-peer connections among foster carers themselves. He emphasised that this network of support creates a world of opportunities to help children in need.

What is a foster carer?

For those unfamiliar with the term, Andy provided a clear definition of a foster carer: "A foster carer is someone who looks after a child because their birth parents are unable to do so. That could be temporary, that might be for a long time."

He clarified that fostering can be on a full-time basis or for shorter periods like weekends, known as short-term or respite caring. This allows existing foster carers or birth parents to have a break while the child is cared for. He stressed that Shropshire Fostering works with a diverse range of children, all with different needs, requiring a variety of fostering arrangements.

Despite Shropshire being considered an affluent county, Andy highlighted that there are still vulnerable children who require care. "We're currently looking after more than 700 children as a local authority," he stated, adding, "We're Shropshire's biggest family and are recruiting for more foster carers."

Foster carers are always being sought

Andy was keen to emphasise the broad spectrum of individuals Shropshire Fostering is looking to recruit as carers.

"We have foster carers from different backgrounds, different ethnicities. We have solo carers, married ones, people from the LGBTQ+ community, homeowners, and tenants. Really," he explained, "what matters is, if you've got room in your home and your heart, then let's talk."

He noted the core requirements: being over the age of 21 and, unless solely looking after babies, having a spare room. Beyond that, the focus is on having a conversation. He reiterated the diversity among current carers, some working full-time, some part-time, some with their birth children and others without, stressing that these factors are secondary to the desire to provide a loving home.

He also touched upon the financial aspects of fostering, acknowledging that while foster carers are motivated purely by the desire to help, there are also financial rewards. He mentioned that foster carers can earn up to £45,000 per year per child, in addition to allowances for birthdays and Christmas.

Andy assured listeners that full support, including ongoing training, is all provided locally throughout the fostering journey.

Find out more

To provide more information to the public, Shropshire Fostering is hosting a drop-in session at the community hub at Tesco Extra in Battlefield, Shrewsbury, on Friday, May 23rd, between 10am and midday. Individuals are welcome to attend at any time during this period.

Further details and information about upcoming webinars can also be found on the Shropshire Fostering website at shropshirefostering.co.uk.