Peterborough event will be breaking down fostering barriers

The event, organised by Eastern Fostering Services, will take place in Central Square at the Queensgate Shopping Centre on Monday, from 10am-4pm, when the team will be on hand to answer any questions about fostering.

Jo Elliott, Recruitment and Supervising Social Worker, said: “We want to find foster families/homes in Peterborough for nine local children from the area before Christmas.

“These local children are at risk of being placed with families living miles away from their homes and all that is familiar to them at a time which is already very stressful and unsettling for them.”

She added: “The assessment process takes from 4 to 6 months to complete so we are aiming to begin this process with families from Peterborough.

“Generally the local authority have great difficulties in finding local fostering families for Peterborough children and young people or even foster families within an hour’s drive away. They also struggle to find foster families who are able to offer care for sibling groups of children which results in siblings being separated and causing an even greater loss for them.

“We are holding our event to raise awareness of the high level of need for foster carers.

“We aim to break down perceived barriers that prevent people coming forward - for instance age, marital status and home ownership, all of which have no bearing on the potential to become a carer.

“Just as every child and every story is unique, every foster carer is different. Foster carers do not all fit the same mould.”