Celebrating Community this Foster Care Fortnight
Foster Care Fortnight 2023 is celebrated from 15th – 28th May.
This year the theme is #FosteringCommunties!
Foster Care Fortnight is a nationwide awareness-raising campaign, established in 1997 by The Fostering Network charity. The fortnight showcases the commitment, passion and dedication of foster carers and young people in care. It also supports services to highlight the need for more foster carers.
Community in the fostering world can be found in many different forms; through friends and family, the local community, peers, work and organised groups. As a Social Enterprise, we prioritise giving back to these communities to further champion our children in care and their carers. Strength in the community means better quality support and care for all.
Each year, we celebrate Foster Care Fortnight by spending time with our carers and young people listening to their experiences and telling their stories to inspire others to learn more about fostering!
This year we got four of our fantastic carers together; Usma, Sara, Sharon and Ken to discuss their passion for being foster carers and what this means to them.
Alongside some funny anecdotes and shared experiences, they discussed the value of the fostering community and the influence it has on the young people they care for.
They all shared how Five Rivers has supported them throughout their journeys, with quality training and support as an organisation.
“Once these children are in care, it’s not just the carer’s responsibility, it’s the whole community’s responsibility.”
Usma, Foster Carer
We were also privileged to hear from some of our young people in care, who shared their advice to new foster carers about what helps them to settle into a new home.
What activities do you have planned for Foster Care Fortnight? We would love to hear from you! Contact [email protected] with any photos or news. Don’t forget to use the official hashtag #FosteringCommunities on social media to share your updates with everyone taking part!
If you’re not in a position to foster right now, but would like to know how you can support our fostering community, you can sign up to be a Fan of Fostering and help us spread the word.
