Call for more foster carers to step forward in East Sussex

East Sussex County Council is using this year’s national awareness campaign, Foster Care Fortnight, which runs until Sunday May 22, to encourage more people to consider joining the fostering community.

Foster carers can transform the lives of children and young people by offering a safe and loving home.

Primary school teacher Catherine decided to foster because ‘some children haven’t had the best start in life’. Fostered children have been part of her extended family for more than ten years and once her own children left home, she felt the time was right to look into fostering for herself.

Catherine’s first two respite care placements began in July 2020, during the pandemic. She was part of the children’s support bubbles, caring for a five-year-old boy for 24 hours once a fortnight and a 12-year-old girl one weekend a month.

Catherine said: “I loved it. We were busy from the moment they arrived whenever they stayed - parks, beach, train rides, watching films together.

“To foster just seems so natural and respite care allowed me to form relationships with different children so I was getting a lot out of it too.”

In June 2021, Catherine began providing fortnightly weekend respite care for another five-year-old boy, and the placement was so successful that she was asked to consider caring for him on a full-time basis.

She said: "He’s been with me three months now. Small steps have rolled into this. It’s lovely, he’s lovely.”

For more information visit, www.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies