Opportunities for children and young people in care

If you are fostering a child, or considering becoming a foster carer, you might be wondering about the role that organisations such as fostering agencies, local authorities and charities have.

How do they look out for children in care, and how do they provide support with the opportunities they offer?

Beacon Fostering acknowledges the importance of community in supporting children and young people in foster care, so here are ways that organisations support foster children during their time in care.

Local authority forums

These are usually the first port of call for foster families and young people seeking wider support and opportunities.

Care leaver forums exist across the country to hear the views of young people to improve the care system. An example in the Northwest of England is LINX (Listen Involve Negotiate Express), a children in care council for those living in Lancashire.

It seeks to give a voice to children aged 8-16 years who are experiencing foster care in Lancashire, while allowing them to get involved in creating informative resources for care-experienced children and social care teams.

Charities

Children’s charities such as the NSPCC, Coram and Barnardo’s have schemes and resources for young people to read, which can be found on the NSPCC Learning website. They include reports on the welfare of children in care and information on a scheme called Building Connections, which helps young people aged 19 and under combat loneliness.

Events

Foster care events take place up and down the country, where potential carers can learn more about the fostering process, and foster carers can meet with one another. Some are virtual, others are in-person.