Celebrating East Lothian's Foster Carers

Having foster homes within our communities is so important to help children stay connected with their area as much as possible

Foster Care Fortnight (11-25 May 2020) is charity The Fostering Network’s annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering and how it transform’s lives. Every 20 minutes in the UK a child comes into care in need of a foster family. In East Lothian, the council’s dedicated fostering team is working to recruit more foster carers to ensure that local children can continue to be cared for within their communities.

Foster carers are needed across all age groups but especially to provide loving and stable homes for teenagers and sibling groups.

The role of everyone involved in foster caring will be highlighted through the council’s social media channels across Foster Care Fortnight, including a video mesage from Councillor Ahktar. Local foster carers are being encouraged to share a photograph of themselves to raise awareness of the amazing work that they do. Residents will also be asked to remember foster carers in the weekly doorstep ‘clap for carers’ for the work that they are doing to support children and young people, especially in the current climate. 

Cabinet member for Education and Children’s Services Councillor Shamin Akhtar said: “Foster carers do an extraordinary job providing love and stability for children and young people. The care and reassurance they offer is even more important just now to help the children in their foster family to deal with the uncertainty and changes brought about by Covid-19.

“Having foster homes within our communities is so important to help children stay connected with their area as much as they can. Our experienced fostering team works hard to support foster carers whatever stage they are at in their fostering journey. Fostering is very rewarding and the benefits of being involved are felt by foster carers as well as the children and young people they support.

“Foster Care Fortnight gives us a great opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all our foster carers, and those who support them. I hope more people will also be inspired to come forward and join East Lothian’s fostering family.”

Find out more about fostering in East Lothian by visiting: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/fostering or call 01620 827643.