Foster Carer Shortage Across The UK!

After Foster Care Fortnight began on Monday, The Fostering Network released an article that included a startling but unsurprising statistic. The article suggested that there is currently a shortage of 6,500 foster carers across the UK. The current need for additional foster carers is increased by the record-breaking number of children and young people in this country, currently in care.

The shortage has received a lot of attention recently, leading to the government announcing an additional £36 million foster care investment and the introduction of 10 new regional support subs across England, where the number of fostering households has decreased by 1045 in the last five years alone.

With yesterday being International Day of Families, it’s important to realise that currently there is a real need to give more children a happy family life, in an environment which matches their needs and therefore improves their wellbeing and behaviour.

During the bank holiday weekend, due to the current foster carer shortage across the UK, an appeal for more foster carers was made on BBC news and I was amazed to hear that the average time for people to decide to foster is 5 years. Unfortunately, at the moment, we don’t have this time as there is a desperate need to give the children a brighter, happier life. If you’ve ever considered fostering, get the ball rolling and sign-up to foster today.

Fostering however, is of course a complex decision and definitely not one that can be made over night. There are obviously numerous challenges that you’ll face along your fostering journey, but nothing in life comes without challenges. There are children and young people who need love and a safe environment, so if you have that to give, sign-up to foster and create a brighter future for those who need it most.

To find out more and join Beacon, click the link – http://www.beaconfostering.com