keeping

FCA in Worcestershire is one of a number of services targeting the ‘empty-nesters’ of children who have left for university this month in their latest foster carer recruitment campaign.

Welcome back, full of energy, innovative ideas and drive to recruit and retain the foster carers you need for 2015.

As the calendar year draws to a close, this month’s Attracting and Keeping Carers blog reaches you a little earlier than normal to avoid being lost in the festivities.

November began with the selected 12 English local authorities joining us for a workshop as part of the Department for Education funded project to Support fostering services to recruit more foster carers.

Next month sees one of the greatest migrations of young people across the UK as hundreds of thousands leave home to begin their university education. Empty nest syndrome is well documented, and many foster carers reference a quiet home, missing the hubbub of young people and, genuine quote, "someone to make me a nice cup of tea" as a reason to consider fostering!

There seems to be no let-up in the pace of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight activity, typified by the excellent work you’re doing in your local communities. Our media monitoring systems are reporting over 700 pieces of coverage across the UK. Many of you have been in touch telling me of activities still to come, so we may hit and surpass the magical 1,000 mark!

I start this month’s blog the day after April Fools’ Day, so rest assured that this month’s AKC blog is wind-up free… although I'm sure some will beg to differ!

The i’s have been dotted and t’s have been crossed, and we can now announce the 15 local authorities that we will be working with to March 2014 to support them in their recruitment of foster carers.