Foster hub launched to recruit carers in West Yorkshire

The new scheme is part of a £1.2m regional bid between five councils and is designed to recruit foster carers in Cumbria and Lancashire.

The Regional Fostering Recruitment and Retention Hub, has been created as part of a £1.2m regional bid between Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council, and Lancashire County Council to boost foster care recruitment in the region.

Arguably, news of the programme couldn’t have come at a better time. Recent data has found 700 children and young people across Cumbria are in the care of their local council. What’s more, across the five local authorities there are 152 children waiting for foster homes, including 19 sibling groups who don’t wish to be separated.

On the upsetting topic of siblings being separated in care, at the beginning of last year, the Children’s Commissioner for England published data showing around 37% of children with a brother or sister – which equates to 20,000 children – are forced to leave their sibling when placed in care. This issue is worsened for older kids placed in semi-independent accommodation as 93% are pulled away from their siblings.

The aim of the scheme is to act as a first point of contact for those interested in fostering to help them make an informed choice about how fostering could work for them.

Cllr Sue Sanderson, cabinet member childrens’ services, education and skills at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: ‘We urgently need to recruit more foster carers for children across Cumbria and the new regional recruitment hub, Foster With Us, will help us to address the recruitment challenges our councils are currently facing.

‘The new hub makes it easier than ever for people to find out more about becoming a foster carer in their local area and will work across our five local authority areas to ensure the best outcomes for children who need a foster home.

‘At Westmorland and Furness Council we welcome people from all walks of life and all backgrounds into the fostering community, to make sure every child in foster care finds the right placement.

‘Working with our partners across the region, we remain committed to cared for children being safe and having the love and opportunities we want for all our children.’

Image: Westmorland and Furness Council

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