Last year, Hull Fostering welcomed 10 new fostering families, providing 14 more bedrooms for Hull children needing a loving home.
Since April this year, they have welcomed another 12 fostering households to its fostering community, offering a further 16 bedrooms for children and young people to live in.
When a child cannot live with their own families, it is the council’s responsibility to find a loving home for children. Hull Fostering still need many more foster carers to join their fostering community to offer an array of support and care.
Hull Fostering are searching for more long term foster carers, as well as respite carers. They are also in need of more people who can offer short breaks for children with disabilities who may or may not be looked after.
Hull Fostering have built a supportive community of foster carers. They offer support groups, afterschool clubs and have formed a community hub where foster carers and children can enjoy free hot meals, watch films, play games and even have free gym access.
Hull Fostering are proud of all their foster carers and children, and are now calling on even more people to join their fostering community to offer care to the newest children needing a safe and loving home.
They host regular information stalls in busy locations throughout the month in Hull. They also promote success stories within the fostering community online and invite people to attend their regular online information events to learn more about fostering.
The next online information event is taking place 7pm – 8pm on Wednesday 6th December, click here for the joining link.
Local foster carer Janet Slade said: “I have been fostering with my husband Clive for 41 years and it is a way of life for us. We have cared for brothers, sisters, children who didn’t speak English, children with disabilities, and helped children transition to their forever homes through adoption and young people onto independence. We still have regular visitors from some of our foster children now they are grown up, and we have kept in contact with a lot of them.
“We’ve had many incredible experiences and success stories. Clive once missed the beginning of our holiday to ensure a little boy returning to Poland arrived safely. He knew it was a big change for the little boy and Clive wanted to be there to give him the reassurance and support, when meeting his extended family who he was going to live with.
“When another young man started to feel unsafe at a time in his life and refused to work with any professionals, he remembered how Clive and I had made him feel whilst staying with us a long time ago. At the young man’s request and in Clive’s own time, Clive worked hard to rebuild the young man’s trust in the world and gave him enough confidence again to accept help.”
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council said: “The supportive community that Hull Fostering have helped shape is remarkable. Foster carers and children have access to fantastic help from the hub, as well as a supportive community of other foster carers on hand to share their wisdom from years of experience.
“There are so many options for those considering fostering, even if they aren’t able to care for a child fulltime. Come and speak to the team at Hull Fostering to find out more about how you could help transform the life of a child.”
There are lots of different types of fostering that suit different people and lifestyles. Find out more about fostering in Hull by visiting www.hullfostering.co.uk.
