Twenty local authorities in the South East have hosted a visit from newly appointed Minister Janet Daby MP.
The visit from the Labour MP for Lewisham East, and former children’s social worker, follows the launch of Local Authority Fostering South East. This is a DfE funded project to recruit more foster carers across the region. The project has become the largest local authority fostering recruitment hub in the country.
Minister Daby met with foster carers, care-experienced young people and representatives from Local Authority Fostering South East. The visit took place in Time Square, Bracknell Forest, on Wednesday, 31 July.
The Minister heard about the Mockingbird support programme for foster carers, and the new innovative approach to foster carer recruitment. This includes the joint marketing campaigns running across the region to attract more people willing to take on this life-changing role.
It is Daby’s first engagement with fostering services since becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education (DfE).
Janet Daby, Minister for children and families, said: “We know that there’s a growing demand for foster placements across the country and we must do more to recruit and retain more foster carers.
“Today, I met with the South East’s newly launched recruitment and retention hub team to find out how they will offer support to prospective foster carers, improve the transition to becoming a carer and encourage more people to foster children.
“I encourage anyone with an interest in fostering in the area to get in touch to find out more and help to give children growing up in care every possible opportunity for better life chances.”
To find out more information, visit Local Authority Fostering South East.
Notes to editors
Contact information:
Phone: 0300 1312797
Email: info@lafosteringse.org.uk