Peterborough foster carers urge people to sign up to scheme

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fostering Service launched their new campaign, ‘What’s Your Type of Fostering?’, encouraging local people to start a new journey in 2022 which will change a local child or young person’s life as well as their own.

To demonstrate that there are many types of fostering to suit many types of lifestyle and professions, the Fostering Service spoke to Darren, a former police officer who served for 30 years and is now a Civil Servant working for the Home Office. Darren and his wife have just completed their first year of fostering and the couple explain that it was his experience as a police officer that led them to consider fostering.

Darren and his wife provide Respite Care to children and young people, a type of fostering where carers can offer much-needed breaks to other carers for planned, often short periods – and are currently fostering their tenth child.

Respite Care has proven to be a good fit for Darren’s busy Civil Servant job, for which he leads inspection teams to report on how police forces are performing. He has found that, by working as a team with his wife, who works as a part-time crime analyst, they can ensure that they can give the children the care that they need whilst also doing their day jobs justice.

“Respite Care can be for a couple of weeks, for a few days over a weekend, or even for just a few hours in an emergency,” Darren explained. “We call our care ‘sleepovers’, ‘holiday time’, and ‘adventure days’ – depending on the age of the children.”

“You do have to be organised,” said Darren, “and you have to know what each other is doing work-wise in advance. Weekends are, of course, for fun – neither of us work then, so we fill those days with all sorts of activities to make the children’s time here as fun as it can be.”

Darren advises anyone considering becoming a Respite Foster Carer needs to be able to be flexible with their time but that it is, overall, a hugely worthwhile experience.

“It is so rewarding to see a child relax and have fun with us. And when they come again, as many of the children we care for do, to see them all excited and happy to see us again is something that goes straight to your heart. We find ourselves lucky to able to open our home to children who need a loving and safe environment, which is close to where they live.”

Councillor Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “While it can seem daunting to try and balance your time and efforts between helping a child or young person in your care grow whilst also maintaining your career, both Darren and his wife make this work for them, and this can also be a positive lifestyle choice.”

Find out more about the Fostering Service’s campaign by searching for #WhatsYourTypeOfFostering on social media.

When you foster with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fostering Service, you will receive:

· generous allowances and benefits

· an individualised training programme

· round the clock support

· a dedicated skilled and experienced Supervising Social Worker

If you’re committed to making a difference to local children and young people, and you are over 21 years of age and able to provide a warm and loving home where children and young people can thrive, then the council wants to hear from you – follow the team on Facebook at @PCCFostering and @CCCFosteringService, visit the Cambridgeshire or Peterborough Fostering websites, call 0800 052 0078 or text FOSTERING to 60777.