Five Rivers Child Care, a national independent fostering provider, is calling on Brighton’s LGBTQ+ communities to consider local fostering opportunities, after a new report from the Department for Education showed a record number of children are in care.
In addition to this report, a survey conducted by Five Rivers Child Care has shown that over 60% of the public in the South East are unaware that LGBTQ+ people can foster and, with a record number of children in care (78,150), charity New Family Social claims if just one percent of the LGBTQ+ community was to foster, there would be no children waiting for a home.
Commenting on the need for more LGBTQ+ foster carers, Jem Orman, Fostering Service Manager at Five Rivers Child Care in the South East, said: “There’s a desperate need for more people to enter the fostering industry. With nearly 80,000 vulnerable young people in need of a safe home we want to challenge misconceptions that might prevent LGBTQ+ members from fostering.
“It’s extremely important to have a diverse range of foster carers across the country to reflect the diverse nature of the children and young people entering the care system and provide role models from all walks of life. We have some amazing LGBTQ+ carers who are enriching children’s and young people’s lives every day and encourage anyone who would like to do the same to get in touch.”
People from all walks of life can become foster carers as long as they are over 21 years of age. This includes single people, co-habiting couples, same sex couples and people living in rented accommodation – the only requirement is a private bedroom for each foster child.
For more information on Five Rivers Child Care, visit their website, call the enquiries team on 01722 435750, or email carer.enquiries@five-rivers.org
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