Dr Brian Iddon welcomes Foster Care Fortnight 14th-27th May

Bolton South East MP, Brian Iddon, has welcomed the beginning of Foster Care Fortnight by signing a Commons motion commending the hard work done by the UK’s 37,000 foster carers in providing care and support for the 50,000 children across the UK who are in foster care.

Although Foster Care Fortnight is an excellent opportunity to thank foster carers for the work they do, Government figures released ahead of Foster Care Fortnight show that a shortage of foster carers in the North West means that one in 10 of the children in care in Bolton are being moved between at least three foster homes in the North West.

Dr Iddon MP said,

“Foster care is an absolutely essential service, giving children across Bolton the chance of a brighter future, and a productive, happier place in our society. Foster carers do a fantastic job, but the fact is there are simply not enough of them at the moment.

Children need the love, support and guidance only a family can offer. Unfortunately the reality is that many children must not only deal with the trauma of being separated from their birth families and taken into the care system, but also cope with being moved between different foster homes, schools and neighbourhoods.

Foster Care Fortnight is the ideal opportunity to contact your local fostering services and find out more about becoming a foster carer, and making a huge difference in a child’s life.”

Fostering services need a wide pool of foster carers to allow them to place children with families best suited to their particular needs. All foster carers are trained to look after children with different and very specific needs. However, if children are placed with foster carers who are not trained to address their specific needs, there is a much higher chance the arrangement will break down, leading to a disruptive and emotionally damaging move to another family.

As part of the Foster Care Fortnight, the Fostering Network will be running a nationwide campaign to encourage people to step forward to fill the shortage, and offer a home and the chance of a better life to children who can not live with their own families.

1. Dr Brian Iddon MP signed EDM 1412, “Foster Care Fortnight” http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33195&SESSION=885

2. Foster Care Fortnight will run from 14^th - 27^th May 2007

3. The Fostering Network is the UK's leading charity for all those involved in fostering, and exists to ensure that fostered children receive the highest standards of care. For more information on becoming a foster carer call 020 7620 6400 or visit www.fostercarefortnight.co.uk