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| Image taken from the Any of Us film |
Yesterday I was pleased to attend a Fostering event held in Horsham and as a West Sussex County Councillor, I am keen to help spread the word about how great fostering can be. Below I've reproduced the press release issued by West Sussex County Council today. There are two links at the foot of the article, one to the Fostering West Sussex website and the other to the Any of Us short film that is well worth watching.
News release 28 September 2023
Attendees heard about the challenge of finding local carers for
the growing number of children in care and how the impact this has. Councillors
were called upon to become Fostering Ambassadors and were able to speak to
foster carers about their day-to-day experiences and the many amazing outcomes
they have achieved. A photography exhibition, Through Our
Eyes: Life in Care, helped to
highlight the positive impact that carers have had on the lives of young
people, several of whom were happy to share their personal experiences.
The event, hosted by West Sussex County Council’s Fostering team,
was an opportunity to showcase a new short film to promote fostering for your
Local Authority. Any
Of Us is the sixth film produced by a
growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts and this project will be
the largest public sector fostering film collaboration yet, with over 80
participants from across the country.
Any
Of Us looks at three very
different, ordinary people who all show some of the attributes needed to be a
foster carer in incidents from their daily lives. Each encounters a different
scenario where they show the caring instinct that is fundamental to being a
foster carer.
Tracy, a foster carer from Crawley said: “We wondered whether we
were enough, what skills could we bring, would it be good enough? Yes, we were
enough. We were able to our open hearts and our homes. We were able to comfort,
reassure and support. My biggest regret is that we didn’t do it sooner.”
Councillor Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children &
Young People, Learning & Skills attended the event and said: “Fostering can
be an incredibly rewarding experience and we desperately need more foster
carers here in West Sussex. As the Any Of Us film
shows, foster carers are ordinary people, just like you, who come from a range
of backgrounds. The collaborative production of this film is a great example of
how we are working with other Local Authorities and trusts, pulling together
expertise and resources to create a powerful message that hopefully will
resonate with many people.
“We urge anyone who has a spare room and an interest in helping
children and young people to think about becoming a foster carer in West
Sussex. We are committed to keeping children and young people safe and helping
them fulfil their potential, and our foster carers are critical to this. Get in
touch with our team to find out more about our comprehensive support package.”
Foster carers for
West Sussex County Council receive comprehensive training, ongoing
professional support and a competitive financial package of up to £28,500 a
year (per child).
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