Celebrating and supporting Nottinghamshire foster families
From supporting babies and young children to caring for teenagers, siblings and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, foster carers across the East Midlands are making a difference every day.
There is no one type of person who can foster, and no single fostering journey. Foster carers come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. They provide different types of care, but they all have one thing in common: they want to make a positive difference to a child’s life.
Isabella fosters with Nottinghamshire County Council and has spent the last two and a half years providing support care, mainly for children under two. She has also previously fostered longer term. For Isabella, some of the most powerful moments come when a child begins to feel safe.
She described seeing babies go from being unresponsive to smiling, making eye contact and responding to songs, signs that they are beginning to feel secure.
“With older children… it’s when they finally feel safe and the real child starts to shine out,” said Isabella.
Isabella also challenged one of the common concerns people have about fostering, becoming attached to a child. “Of course I get attached,” she said. “That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do.” She believes it is better for a child to experience a caring adult who becomes attached to them, even when saying goodbye can eventually be difficult.
“As a secure adult, I have all the tools I need to cope with the grief of letting go,” she explains.
There are over 950 children in Nottinghamshire alone who may need foster care at any given time. Foster carers like Isabella provide essential support to children and young people in the county, and Nottinghamshire County Council recognises the vital role carers play and provides regular fun and celebrations for them and their families.
Celebrations have included a picnic at Newstead Abbey, where families got together for the afternoon. Talking about the picnic, foster carer Nicola, said: “What an amazing opportunity to meet up with and spend time with other foster carers in such a lovely location. Days like today are important as you can meet other carers and you realise you are never on your own.”
Councillor Rory Green, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Every day our foster carers do amazing things by providing safe, loving homes for our children and young people. We can never thank them enough, but these kinds of events are a small token of our appreciation.
“I’d also like to thank the fostering service for working hard to support our carers and for organising such fun events for everyone to enjoy.”
This year, foster carers and their families have also attended cricket matches at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, and a jampacked day at Alton Towers.
Whether you provide short breaks, care for siblings, support a teenager or give a young child a safe and secure home, you can make a difference. Foster carers receive training, guidance and ongoing support from their local council fostering service.
If you are interested in becoming a foster carer then head to Foster for East Midlands Councils for more information.
