The power of those meaningful connections between a foster carer and a child transforms lives and that is the theme of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight: ‘The Power of Relationships’. From the bond between a foster carer and a child, to the vital support of social workers, friendships within the fostering community or the connections with birth families - these relationships shape lives, create stability, and open up new possibilities for the future. It could be helping a young teenager navigate their teenage years through to their independence, or Kinship fostering, when someone cares for a child if they are a family member, friend or have a connection to the family.
Across Suffolk, hundreds of foster carers open their homes to provide love, stability, and care to children and young people in need.
It’s been a busy time for the service; our Emergency Foster Care Hub, launched in March and is supporting our children in care.
This is a year-long pilot programme, which will enable children and young people a safe stable home, for a period of 14 days whilst professionals work to understand their needs, and plan for the longer-term, reducing the likelihood of multiple moves and offering children more security and stability.
We are very excited to be working alongside three very experienced, skilled, and dedicated fostering households, who offer invaluable feedback, and insight, alongside the children’s voices, and we hope that this pilot can be incorporated as a permanent structure to support and improve outcomes for Suffolk’s looked after children.
Next week will also mark one year of Foster East which we are proud to be a part of.
As a collaboration of 11 local councils in the East of England we work together to make sure foster carers and the children they look after can thrive.
We are working to ensure that anyone who is considering fostering for their council has access to the very best training and support as they complete the application process and become a foster carer.
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce a partnership with John Lewis, who have teamed up with us to promote fostering and children’s activities. Their generous grant funding will enable us to host more social and community events throughout the year, helping to strengthen our fostering community. These events will also give children the chance to experience exciting new activities such as high ropes, tree trekking, canoeing, and caving.
We also have the Hop to it! Suffolk 2025 trail launching next month, in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice and created in partnership with Wild in Art. From 21 June – 29 August, 60 decorated hare sculptures will take over Ipswich and the surrounding areas for the summer, each featuring unique designs. For the first time, this year’s trail also features neighbouring locations including Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Beccles and Lowestoft.
We are delighted to be taking part in the trail once again and through the efforts of our staff and partners we have already raised more than £1,000 for St Elizabeth Hospice via a number of fundraising activities including a sponsored cycle.
We’ll be releasing more details about where you can spot our Fostering and Adoption stargazing hare soon, so keep an eye on our social media channels to be the first to know!
In Suffolk, we have around 900 children in the care of Suffolk County Council. We need more Foster to provide safe, nurturing homes - whether for a night, a few months, or several years. By fostering, you can make a lasting difference in a young person’s life.
If you would like to find out more about fostering with your local council, please visit our website: www.fosterandadopt.suffolk.gov.uk or call us on 01473 264800.
