FOSTER carers are urgently needed to offer secure and loving homes for children in Teesdale.
As the number of young people who cannot live with their birth families continues to rise, individuals, couples and families are being urged not to rule themselves out and find out more about whether they could help change a County Durham child’s life for the better.
Foster carers like Sharron and Derek Stainton are something of a rarity in the dale which, despite being home to almost one in 15 of the county’s people, provides less than one in 55 of its foster homes.
“I saw a piece in the newspaper and decided to find out more,” said mum-of-three Mrs Stainton, 48, who looked into fostering with Durham County Council eight years ago after being made redundant from her job as an account administrator.
“When we started we didn’t know much about it – we
didn’t know there were so many different options for how to foster or ages of children who need a home. And I think that may be true for many people in Teesdale – there’s a lack of awareness of who can be a foster carer.
“A lot of people say to me that it’s something they would want to do, but they have ruled themselves out because they don’t think they are the right person.
“Yet there’s almost something to fit everybody.”
The couple, who lives near Barnard Castle, fostered 11 children for between three weeks and two-and-a-half years each before taking in three brothers and a sister on what is known as a permanence basis, where children stay with carers until they are ready to leave care.
“There was a possibility that they were going to be split up because it is so hard to place four children in one home,” said Mr Stainton, 53. “We thought about how we would feel if our three had been in that situation and knew we would have wanted them to be together. They’re great children and now they are part of our family.”
The couple admit that fostering is not always easy, but “it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life” and the rewards can be incredible. “The youngest was two-and-a-half years old when he came to us and he didn’t speak,” said Mr Stainton. “But we knew he had it in him and it was so great to see the changes in him. It was nine months before he was speaking properly but it felt like we’d given him his voice.”
In County Durham there are more than 775 children in care and, like all areas of the country, the council does not have enough foster carers – particularly for teenagers, brothers and sisters, children who need long-term placements and those who need more specialist support to help them cope with their emotions and past experiences.
Helen Fergusson, Durham County Council’s head of looked-after children, said: “We know that there are many myths that surround fostering and so we would encourage people to find out the facts before they rule themselves out. You don’t need any special qualifications – just a genuine interest in caring for young people, patience, understanding and a sense of humour – and we can offer you training and specialised support along the way.”
There are lots of reasons why children can no longer live with their birth families from illness or personal problems which mean parents cannot care for their child, to neglect and abuse.
Sometimes a child may have a disability or complex needs that their family is unable to cope with. All Durham County Council foster carers receive a fostering allowance.
Durham County Council’s fostering team, along with carers like Mrs Stainton, are holding an informal drop-in information session at The Witham this Saturday, February 17, from 10am to noon, to answer any questions about becoming a foster carer. Visit www.durham.gov.uk/foster
ing.
