Member Article

Campaign launched to recruit foster carers

A partnership is being forged between Durham County Council and a North East fostering agency in a bid to recruit more foster carers for teenagers in the East Durham area. Team Fostering, a not-for-profit fostering agency with offices in Newcastle, Darlington and Sheffield is joining forces with Durham County Council’s Adoption and Fostering Service to encourage people to consider foster caring as a career.

The main focus of the campaign by the newly formed Durham Fostering Partnership is to find prospective carers to give a home to teenagers in the Easington district. The area is particularly short of foster carers willing to offer teenagers a home and the hope is that the new campaign will not only highlight the need but show how foster caring can be a rewarding career option.

Walter Young of Team Fostering said: “The project is focused on Easington district because there has been an increase in the number of children and young people who need foster placements from that area and there is a shortage of homes for them. The one thing we are trying to avoid is having to move young people too far away from their community.”

Florence Coulter of Durham County Council Fostering Service said: “We want to raise awareness in the area of the need for foster carers so that Easington children can remain in Easington communities and keep in touch with their family and friends. “We’re looking to recruit 10 new families. It may seem a small number of families but these families can make a great contribution to looking after the children from Easington.”

The campaign will focus on raising awareness of the need for carers along with highlighting the benefits of fostering caring as a career option for people who fit the criteria. Sex, age and marital status are not barriers and all carers are given full training and have 24 hour support available.

Further information is available by contacting Team Fostering on 0191 262 8855 or Durham Fostering Department on 0191 370 649.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .