Fosterers who go beyond the call of duty for our children

I had the great pleasure of welcoming some of Staffordshire's special unsung heroes at the county council's latest Cabinet meeting.

They were a group of our fosterers who care for children with a hugely varying range of needs in their own homes.

The fosterers who attended Cabinet deal with youngsters with some of the most challenging behaviour. It is demanding "work" but we were told it can be especially rewarding.

The intensity of care required by some of these children is really challenging, and that is why we provide very special training and support. But more than anything these carers need incredible commitment, and that makes them a really wonderful resource for Staffordshire.

It would be a real mistake to right off the children who need this level of fostering as "bad". They are not. What they normally have in common is that they will have experienced severe trauma and emotional difficulties in their short lives.

In the past they may have spent much of their lives in care homes. And while staff in residential homes for young people do a wonderful job, they would never pretend that what they provide equates to a "normal" family home.

That is what our foster carers strive for to the best of their ability. They give very disturbed young people a settled home, with real care and love, often for the first time in their lives.

Page Last Modified: 27/08/2008 14:45:44

Back to top