Manx Care’s Family Placement Service is calling for more foster families on the Island to come forward, as The Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight begins across the UK. The annual campaign to raise awareness and understanding of foster care takes place from 13 May to 26May 2024.
Fostering offers children and young people a home when they are unable to live with their birth family. Sometimes children only stay with a foster family for a few days, while others will live with their foster family for a few weeks, months, years and beyond. Foster carers make a significant difference in the lives of fostered children and young people, helping them to flourish and changing their future.
During this fortnight, the Family Placement Service aim to shine a light on all the valuable contributions made by fostering families every day. It is a chance for all those involved in fostering, and the communities that support them to tell their stories and share their experiences.
Ed Coates from the Family Placement Service said:
'Our foster carers come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of life and work experiences with them. Foster Carers are the backbone of our service and make a huge contribution by opening their homes and building trusting relationships with children and young people who are in need of support and stability. Fostering provides a loving and safe environment in which a child or young person can reach their full potential. We sincerely appreciate the work they do, and the legacy they are creating for a new generation of young people on the Island.
'Foster carers are amazing people, but we really do need more of them. A wider pool of foster carers enables fostering services to be able to match the needs of each child more closely with the particular skills that each foster carer brings, and to find the right home for each child. That's why, as part of Foster Care Fortnight, we are urging people in the Isle of Man to get in touch. Anyone seriously interested in fostering will have lots of questions and this fortnight is the perfect opportunity to come and have a chat with us and find out more.'
Professor Tim O’Neill, Executive Director for Social Care, Mental Health and Safeguarding commented:
‘Our amazing foster carers play a hugely important role on our island, because they provide safe and loving care for some of our most vulnerable young people. I’d be delighted to see you at one of our events so we can tell you more about the wonderful work our foster carers do, and how you can get involved too.’
The theme of this year's Foster Care Fortnight is #FosteringMoments. During Foster Care Fortnight 2024 we want to celebrate the moments that define fostering journeys, big and small. The moments that built confidence, made young people feel safe and created memories. These will be shared through the fortnight on our social media pages.
If you would like to meet the team in person, the Family Placement Service will be at the following locations throughout Foster Care Fortnight. In addition you will see the team out and about taking part in a number of other events, including a ‘Foster Walk’ on Douglas prom and a ‘Family Fun Day’ in Peel – just a couple of events that have been organised for their Foster Carers and their families to celebrate the wonderful work they do.
Week 1: 13 to 19 May
- Tuesday 14 May – Peel Swimming Pool 3:30pm to 6pm
- Wednesday 15 May – Sea Terminal 11am to 2pm
- Thursday 16 May – Starbucks Peel Road 6:30pm to 8:30pm
- Friday 17 May – Tynwald Mills 11am to 2pm
Week 2: 20 to 26 May
- Monday 20 May – Tesco Douglas 11am to 2pm
- Wednesday 22 May – NSC 11am to 5pm
- Thursday 23 May – Noa Bakehouse (Santander) 11am to 1pm
- Friday 24 May – Douglas City Centre 10am to 4pm
