Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, a national fostering agency who provides care for those in the Renfrewshire area is continuing to urge people to consider a vital career choice – becoming a foster parent.
According to the latest statistics released by the ONS and Ofsted, as of March 2019, there were 55,000 children in care, an increase of 3% compared to figures in March 2018. As such, there are thousands of children in need of a supportive, nurturing home, and the number continues to rise.
However, with the focus of the nation elsewhere, those vulnerable young people could struggle to find a stable and supportive place to call home if prospective foster parents do not get in touch.
With new Government rules and restrictions in place, as well as the message to Stay at Home, many people are understandably taking the time to focus on staying safe and well while primarily putting their time into supporting their immediate friends and family.
Katie Broatch, Service Manager at Fosterplus Paisley, commented; “There are countless children in need of a loving home where they can receive the support they desperately require. Yet, with Coronavirus leading to many understandably focusing on the pandemic and their isolation, fostering may be something people are just not considering.
“Whilst we all re-evaluate our lives during isolation, becoming a foster parent could be an option for many different types of people. During these unprecedented times, we have taken steps to ensure that those considering fostering can continue to move forward with their fostering application, and we urge them to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“We’d like to reassure individuals that home visits and assessments are now being conducted virtually via video calls to remove the need for contact between either party, ensuring
everyone can remain safe and well.”
Continuing, Katie added; “While this may be a time filled with fear and uncertainty, we’re asking people to think about these vulnerable young people. If you can offer stability and a
nurturing home environment to a foster child, please consider picking up the phone to talk through any questions you may have. You could change someone’s life.”
Fosterplus is an independent fostering agency who currently take care of children across Scotland. If you would like to find out more about fostering, call 0800 369 8512
or visit www.fosterplus.co.uk.