Guernsey joining foster care campaign

Foster Care Fortnight 2024 runs from 13 to 26 May

Guernsey is joining in with the UK’s Fostering Network’s annual awareness campaign Foster Care Fortnight 2024, the States says.

It said the event, from 13-26 May, would celebrate "all the moments that define fostering journeys, the moments that built confidence, made children and young people feel safe and created memories".

The Family Placement Service would also be holding drop-in sessions where members of the public could speak to someone from it, the government added.

The events are due to be at the Beau Sejour Leisure Centre on 20 May and at Market Square on 24 May.

Senior supervising social worker Vicki Tennant, who focuses on recruitment and retention of carers, said: "This year’s theme is fostering moments, and it gives us a great opportunity to share some of those moments that make fostering so worthwhile.

"We will be sharing these moments on our Facebook page throughout Foster Care Fortnight and we really hope they inspire people to find out more about fostering.

"We have been really lucky to be supported by some great organisations to enable us to have drop-ins for people who are interested in fostering."

The States added that foster carers who could care for teenagers and sibling groups were a particular need at the moment.

Karen Reade, team manager of the Family Placement Service, said: "Foster carers provide an invaluable role to our community and to the children and young people they care for.

"Having worked with foster carers for many years, I see first-hand how the care and support that foster carers provide literally changes children’s lives."