Warwickshire County Council is looking for people to provide loving homes for children who can’t live with their own families.
In particular, it wants to hear from couples and individuals interested in fostering who have space to look after sibling groups.
To help people understand more about becoming a foster carer, and to hear from a Warwickshire carer with experience of fostering siblings, an online event is taking place on 17 October for anyone who wants to find out more.
Keeping brothers and sisters together at what can be a difficult and unsettling time for them has many benefits. The children can be there for each other and feel safer and more comfortable in a new environment with some familiarity and an extra layer of support.
Warwickshire foster carer, Jess, currently looks after siblings. She said:
"Both my partner and I were really passionate about fostering siblings. We both grew up with brothers and sisters and feel that having close attachments to our siblings in our early years have shaped the individuals we are today.
“We currently have two brothers staying with us who are part of a much larger sibling group. We have witnessed a lot of parenting behaviours from the older sibling and competition for attention. This being said, the older sibling has said to us: ‘I know we bicker and argue but I am so happy that I get to keep some of my family together because without him I would have felt alone in all of this’.
“I feel for these children who have lost everything they know, having a sibling is a comfort, to know they are not alone. Having some of their family with them also helps the children as they form their sense of identity, which supports their self-esteem and the way in which they view themselves.
“I have also found that when children move in it can take a while to build trust and children may feel that they cannot disclose certain elements of their lived experiences to you. Having a sibling who shares those experiences and has lived them also may feel a safer way for a child to address their worries and concerns.
“We really enjoy the dynamics of fostering siblings and there is never a quiet or dull moment in our house. We can have up to three children stay at a time, sometimes from different families, but when children do stay with us, we are one family and even the children that are not biologically related do become like siblings to one another. I feel having other children in the house to form bonds with helps massively with their physical, social and emotional development.”
To find out more about fostering with Warwickshire, join Jess and the fostering team at an online Teams event on Tuesday 17th October at 7.30pm.
At the event people representatives from the council’s fostering team and local foster carers will share information and answer questions about the role, the application process, support available and the different ways to get involved with fostering.
To register your interest in attending the Teams event, email fosteringenquiries@warwickshire.gov.uk
Councillor Sue Markham, portfolio holder for Children and Families said:
“Warwickshire’s foster carers provide safety and support to our children in care during a time of change and uncertainty. For those children with siblings, being able to stay with their siblings offers a great sense of comfort and continuity for them”.
“Our priority is for Warwickshire’s children to feel safe, and our foster carers are key to help us achieve this goal. We welcome anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch with us, and attending our Teams event with Jess will offer even more insight into fostering with us and the benefits of fostering siblings.”
To find out more about fostering with Warwickshire, visit warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering, call 0800 406 1556, or email fosteringenquiries@warwickshire.gov.uk