25% improvement in Buckinghamshire’s fostering numbers
The number of children placed in internal foster care placements in Buckinghamshire has increased by almost 25% since last year.
By the end of March 2018 125 of the looked after children in Buckinghamshire were placed within internal foster care placements. However as of Monday 4th February 2019, 156 children were placed in Buckinghamshire County Council foster placements. This amounts to an increase of around 24% on the previous year.
Warren Whyte, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: ‘Buckinghamshire’s fostering team works extremely hard all year round to find safe and loving homes for children in need, and this is an absolute priority for us. We are very pleased with the increase in our foster care placements since last year, but we are always working to improve this.
We have an amazing group of people who help us look after these children, but we still need more like them to come forward and become foster carers.
To encourage people to foster for Bucks, we have improved allowances and support over recent months. We also have a number of recruitment and information events coming up over 2019. So, if you are interested in becoming a foster carer, please contact us to find out more.‘
Buckinghamshire County Council has recently introduced new and improved weekly allowances, which means the terms offered is now more closely aligned with those of independent fostering agencies.
A Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) clinical psychologist is also available to foster carers every week. They can offer support relating to the child being cared for, or help with any of the carer’s other concerns.
A series of fostering events will outline information about the fostering assessment process and training available, and answer any other questions people may have. The next will be held at New County Offices in Walton Street, Aylesbury on Wednesday 20th February 2019 from 7.00pm to 8.30pm.
Another event will be held in High Wycombe on Wednesday 13th March 2019 with a further event in Buckingham on Wednesday 29th May 2019
A full list of events can be found at https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/care-for-children-and-families/fostering/fostering-information-event/.
Further information about fostering can be found by calling 0800 160 1900 or by email from [email protected].