Jeff Smith is throwing his support behind Foster Care Fortnight, the UKs largest foster care awareness campaign, and urging constituents to support foster care this May May (9- 22).

Too often, due to a lack of foster carers, children are placed with foster families away from their local communities, and sibling groups are separated. There are over 9,000 new foster carers needed across the UK in 2022 and it has never been more important to ensure children in need of a foster home can be cared for locally.

Every child has the right to have their needs met in their local community, without becoming isolated from everything that is familiar to them. This includes being near their family, friends, school and hobbies. By becoming a foster carer, you can help maintain these connections and minimise the disruption to children and young peoples lives.

The fostering community is open to people from all walks of life and backgrounds. You can become a foster carer no matter your age, gender, relationship status or sexual orientation.  

Now is the time to get in touch with your local fostering service and find out how you can help the 70,000 children and young people in need of foster care.

Jeff Smith MP says: ‘Far too often children are being moved away from their communities and lose the stability that is so important to their wellbeing. It’s vital to have foster carers all over Manchester to make sure children don’t lose connections to their friends, their birth family and their own identity.’

‘I want to thank all foster carers in Withington for the support they offer to care-experienced kids and for helping children flourish.’

Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, says: ‘We urgently need more foster carers to come forward to care for children within their local communities. Foster carers are the bedrock of children’s social care; they are vital in our society and our young people rely on their care, dedication, passion and skills to support them when they need it most.  

‘If you have ever considered fostering, now is the time to get in touch with your local fostering service and find out more. The fostering community is open to people from all walks of life and backgrounds: you can become a foster carer no matter your age, gender, relationship status or sexual orientation.  

‘Community can be built around a variety of aspects of people’s lives, and it is important that different identities are represented within the fostering community. 

‘By becoming a foster carer you’re not only joining a community that is welcoming, but one that provides valuable support to foster carers should they need it, working together for children in care. As a foster carer, you can ensure that children who had a difficult start in life can reach their full potential. You can transform lives.’ 

To find out more about fostering, and to find your local fostering service, please visit: www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/could-you-foster