Sponsored Editorial: Produced in association with Kent County Council

As we embark on a new year and with the Covid-19 pandemic still very much having an impact on our health and safety but also job and financial security, many of us may be in a position where we are rethinking how we want to spend our time, the type of work we want to do and the rewards we are looking for.

For some, becoming a foster carer might just be a path worth considering, and as a well-paid and incredibly rewarding role, it can offer a new career path, which includes outstanding training and support.

The need for carers has never been higher and whereas Kent Fostering, the largest and most experienced fostering agency in Kent, has reported a rise in the number of enquiries from people wishing to foster, there has also been a substantial increase in the number of children and young people needing loving and secure foster families.

This is in some way attributable to the pandemic, which has affected the county’s children and young people significantly, including placing increased pressure on families, contributing to worsening mental health, more reliance on substances and deepening poverty.

Some children have been exposed to often very high levels of risk as a result, and in particular child protection agencies have seen a considerable rise in the numbers of children and young people suffering harm as a consequence of domestic abuse.

The pandemic has created a ‘state of emergency’ for those children at risk and who urgently need the safety and security of a foster family to recover.

Kent Fostering is welcoming applications from those interested in becoming foster carers and current foster carers interested in transferring to a different agency.

The service is recruiting people from all walks of life, including single people, couples, LGBTQ and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

The service is proud of the diversity of its foster carers but wants to increase representation across all communities to meet the diverse needs of those children and young people needing foster care.

Whereas it is helpful for applicants to have some experience of parenting or looking after children and young people, a desire to help, be available, provide a place of safety and commit to caring and supporting them for as long as they need, are also important factors.

For those interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer, the Kent Fostering Initial Enquiries Team can be contacted on 03000 420002 or via the website at www.kentfostering.co.uk.

Here, you can have their questions answered about fostering for Kent and be invited to the virtual information events. There is also the opportunity to hear further information, meet staff and most importantly the wonderful foster carers that look after the county’s children and young people.

One person who did just that and became a foster carer with Kent Fostering was Tennille Barry.

“My husband Rob and I had wanted to foster for some time," said Tennille.

"When the time was finally right for us to make the commitment and we were in a position to be able to offer our full support and care to those children and families in need, the world seemed to have other ideas and as we started the application process a world pandemic decided to strike! Whilst we were all making changes and trying to adjust to the "new normal", many things have no choice but to continue and more than ever, children needed safe and nurturing foster care.

"Rob and I were allocated a fantastic social worker and from day one she was available for support and advice - no question was ever too silly or insignificant. Our training was completed virtually via Microsoft Teams, and we were able to meet other new foster carers virtually and all bonded over the same challenges of learning together but apart!

"The training was so helpful and honest, we were able to gain so much from it and both feel it has given us a great starting point within our roles. Although at times technology brought challenges but overall, we do not feel that we lost out on any of the group training experience. We were absolutely thrilled to be approved and it made our journey into fostering so far even more incredible.

"The process of assessment is of course challenging but so worth it and despite the pandemic the Kent Fostering team has gone above and beyond to support us every step of the way.”

Mark Vening, Head of Kent Fostering said, “The pandemic has meant that we have had to adjust the way in which we live and work. As a service, we have found new ways to communicate and keep in touch with our foster carers as well as finding different ways of delivering training.

"It is imperative that we not only recruit more foster carers in response to the rising numbers of children and young people needing foster care but we also recognise the outstanding work and efforts of our current foster carers and ensure that they are well supported, recognised and valued in their contributions to Kent Fostering."

To find out more about Kent Fostering and how you could become a foster carer call 03000420 002 or visit www.kentfostering.co.uk