How the North West is raising awareness of fostering

With 866 homes and 152 children aged between 0-18 years in foster care, the North West is a hub seeking families who can look after those in need.

Since 2020, the number of Children’s Homes has increased by 44%, and there has also been a decline in foster families from 72,770 to 70,465 in 2023-24. These worrying statistics pose as a call for more individuals and families to become foster carers and give children in need the best foundation in life.

Here are some ways that organisations in the North of England are encouraging people to consider fostering.

Lincolnshire

December 2024 saw North Lincolnshire launch their 12 Days of Fostering scheme, giving people an insight into what fostering children at Christmas is like, in the form of videos discussing the impact of fostering – not just on the children, but their carers as well. They can be watched on the North Lincolnshire Council’s YouTube channel.

Fostering Unfiltered, Greater Manchester

This campaign is based in Wigan and Greater Manchester, and seeks to raise awareness of fostering, as well as provide insight and testimonies from the lives of real foster families. It’s led by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the 10 local authorities in the area.

Showing the ups and downs of fostering, the campaign hopes to make fostering more accessible and for more people to explore this endeavour.

Cumbria and Lancashire

In these areas of the North West, the authorities of Lancashire, Blackburn, Westmorland and Furness, Blackpool, Cumberland and Darwen have created the Regional Fostering Recruitment and Retention Hub.

If you’re looking for support throughout all stages of the fostering journey, from applying to approval, reach out to our team at Beacon Fostering today.