Making room for a foster child in Havering
Latest fostering drive seeks people with a spare room.
Havering is seeking potential foster carers who are able to provide safe, loving homes in the borough.
More than 250 children and young people are in need of a place to call home and the council hopes that families who may have a spare room in their homes and are thinking about fostering will consider the difference they could make by fostering a child.
Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, said:
“We want to transform the lives of children who need a home by providing them with a loving and safe environment to live in. Many of the children have faced traumatic situations from an early age but with the right support, their lives could be turned around.
“Havering has a fantastic track record for providing some amazing foster carers who have found both space in their home and in their hearts to look after and help a child thrive and reach their full potential.
“However, we constantly need people to come forward to support a child and if you are kind, understanding and want to make a difference, you could be eligible to become a foster carer. You will need to have a spare room in your home and be available to care for a child. We provide training and support and work alongside each carer to ensure they are suitably matched with the young person.”
Foster carer Linda Norman added:
“The 15-17-year age group breaks my heart as they have often been crushed and devalued by life’s circumstances and you just want to restore a sense of self-worth in them. My passion is to try to replace the negative tapes that play in their head and help them to fulfil their true potential.”