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In England alone, around 36,000 foster carers from all walks of life provide caring settings for children who need the support of a foster family or carer for a period of time.
It is challenging work - for it is estimated that 67 per cent of children are in local authority care as a result of abuse or neglect.
But the rewards of being able to offer stability in place of turmoil or domestic upheaval in a child’s life are great.
In Cheshire new approaches are boosting foster care recruitment: not least by driving home the message that ‘perfect foster carers are not perfect people’.
Social Services believe many people with huge potential to care rule themselves out unnecessarily. Its stance is simply ‘you don’t need to be special - you just need to care’. There are flexible approaches to all kinds of foster care - providing children with long-term care, short-term arrangements or simply committing to a regular slot on a regular basis to suit individual needs.
Awarded Beacon Council status for its innovative foster care policies, the Council is striving to ensure that anyone seeking information about foster care should be able to access it swiftly, effectively and efficiently.
Two designated websites http://www.adoptionincheshire.co.uk/ and http://www.fosteringincheshire.co.uk/ help provide answers to most commonly asked questions.
A free CD-Rom also provides interactive access, featuring real-life profiles detailing the experiences of foster carers and the rewards they get from their work.
Championing Cheshire Homepage
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