New Forest agency makes parenting appeal during Foster Care Fortnight

A NEW FOREST foster agency is urging potential parents to find out more during Foster Care Fortnight, which ends on Sunday.

Blue Sky Fostering, which has offices in Ringwood, Romsey and Swanwick, is marking the national campaign with an appeal for people to come forward to help children get a better start in life.

The agency offers comprehensive training and workshops, as well as ongoing support for foster parents.

Recruitment director Sarah Rockett said: "Time and time again, people come to us to say they would love to foster but they haven’t had children of their own or they rent their home or even that, at 60, they’re too old to foster.

"In reality, most of them are perfectly ‘cut out to foster’. We’re not looking for perfection, we’re looking for people with life experience, a genuine interest in caring for young people, commitment, resilience, compassion and stability.

"I would say most of the people who approach us, feeling that they wouldn’t be able to foster, are totally cut out to do it. They’d make wonderful carers."

She added: “Very often, our young people lack the freedom childhood brings, they’re weighed down by bewildering situations where they’ve been unable to rely on the adults around them.

"They need routine, predictability, security and a calm approach to help them to settle, so you, your pets, your experiences and that spare bedroom in your home makes you ‘cut out to foster’ - to give them back their childhoods.”

To find out more, call Blue Sky on 0800 035 6499 or visit www.blueskyfostering.com.