Fostering round up as push for local involvement continues

April – Grimsby Town Football Club become the first business to sign up to a new foster-friendly business scheme. The scheme aims to encourage employers to support any of their employees who choose to become foster carers, offering benefits including additional annual leave for appointments and training, was launched at the match against Swindon Town FC.

May – As ‘Foster Care Fortnight’ kicked off, local foster carers and children were celebrated with a coffee morning and a Family Fun Day in a bid to thank them for the incredible work they do. The fostering team also held successful drop-in sessions for potential foster carers both in-person and online. We also unveiled special bin wagon livery to help spread the message far and wide.

June – Foster carers and some council members took part in the Great Grimsby 10K. Mayor of the Borough of North East Lincolnshire, Cllr Steve Beasant, spoke poignantly about his own personal connection with fostering and expressed why he is passionate about providing a loving home for every child in the borough and Waltham Toll Bar Academy became the first ‘Foster Friendly’ school in NEL. North East Lincolnshire Fostering took part in the Armed Forces Weekend events including joining the Friday evening parade.

July – The Foster Friendly Employer scheme continued to go from strength to strength with a number of local businesses small and large signing up. Local mental health support provider, Navigo, became the latest organisation to adopt the ‘Foster Friendly’ scheme committing to support potential and current foster carers within the organisation.

August- Local actor, Tommy Turgoose, was announced as the first Foster-Friendly ambassador for the area at an NSPCC event at Grimsby Town Football Club. At the same event, the NSPCC were also announced as a foster-friendly organisation. Later, Conker the donkey and his furry friends were in attendance as Nunny’s Farm were announced as the latest business to join the ‘Foster-Friendly’ scheme.

Councillor Margaret Cracknell, Portfolio Holder for Children and Education, reflects on the last 6 months. “Our fostering team supported by colleagues across the Council  have worked so hard over the last 6 months to recruit new foster carers whilst also supporting the current foster carers that do a wonderful job in caring for the children and young people in the area.

“It is incredibly exciting to see local businesses wanting to get involved with the foster-friendly initiative and we look forward to welcoming more organisations into the fold.” 

Ann-Marie Matson, Director of Children’s Services commented “It is fabulous to see how the community including local businesses have stepped forward to enable children to experience love and stability as part of their own communities

Having personally been involved in so much of the work that’s taken place, I am absolutely delighted to see this coming together and see the difference it is making with more local people putting themselves forward to become foster carers

Foster carers play a pivotal role in supporting and caring for children who are not able to live in their own families for whatever reason and my heartfelt thanks go out to them”

Get in touch now to help change a child’s life and join the North East Lincolnshire Fostering Family. To find out more about becoming a foster carer, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/fostering