A Somerset couple is highlighting the urgent need for more foster carers, after more than two decades supporting children and young people across the county.

“We didn’t know what to expect when we started, but we’re still here all these years later,” said Heather, a Somerset Council foster carer. “You don’t need to be perfect. We’re just a normal family, and it’s the simple things like routines and sitting down together that help children feel safe.”

Heather and Paul have been fostering for more than 25 years, caring for children of all ages, from babies through to teenagers. During that time, they have supported more than 200 children, young people and parents through a combination of short-term, long-term and specialist parent and child fostering placements.

Parent and child fostering provides support to a parent (or parents) and their baby or young child while they develop their parenting skills and confidence. The aim is to help families stay together safely wherever possible, reducing the need for children to enter care.

Short-term fostering can include providing emergency care at very short notice when a child needs a safe place to stay, while long-term fostering offers a stable, nurturing home for a child who is unable to return to their birth family.

Heather and Paul say the support available to foster carers has been an important part of their fostering experience.

Reflecting on their experience of parent and child fostering through Somerset Council’s Family Assessment and Support Team (FA&ST), Heather said: “FA&ST have got a phenomenal training package,” adding that “you’re literally in a small team… learning.”

They also highlighted the wider support available to foster carers.

“You’ve got a great team.”, Heather said.

 “Even though times are hard for different councils, the support has been in our experience a lot better than some of the agencies. Because it’s local,” Paul added.

Heather said “We’ve remained with local government because the support is there. And also the links to education, to healthcare… it’s all linked within our area.”

“I can just ring and I know that I’ve got a supervising social worker who’s going to be with me relatively quickly.”

Alongside support from the fostering team, Heather says that other foster carers have played an important role throughout their fostering journey.

“Support for foster carers is your Supervising Social Worker, but actually, other foster carers are the best sort of support,” Heather said.

Foster carers can also access a range of support networks and opportunities to connect with other carers.  “There are consultative groups, coffee mornings… there’s all sorts of different things.’’

Over the years, Heather and Paul have seen many of the children they have cared for grow into adulthood.

“Some of the children we’ve cared for have gone on to have families of their own,”  Heather and Paul said. “To see them doing well and moving forward in life is incredibly rewarding.”

Foster carers provide safe, stable homes for children who are unable to live with their birth families, on a short-term or sometimes long-term basis. Wherever appropriate, children are supported to maintain relationships with their birth families while in foster care.

Cllr Heather Shearer, Lead Member for Children, Families and Education, said:

“Carers like Heather and Paul show real dedication to children and young people in our care, helping them to feel safe, supported and valued.

“I want to extend my thanks to Heather and Paul, and to all our foster carers across Somerset, for the difference they make every day.

“If you’ve ever thought about fostering, I would encourage you to find out more and see how you could help change a child’s life.”

In Somerset there are more than 650 children who need foster care, with a significant number aged 11 to 18. With a limited number of in-house fostering households, more foster homes are urgently needed.

While there is a particular need for full-time carers, particularly for older children and teenagers, there are a range of fostering opportunities available, including part-time roles such as occasional care, providing overnight care for a child one weekend a month or one evening a week.

Fostering in Somerset also runs relaxed ‘Cuppa with a Carer’ information sessions for anyone who would like to learn more. These informal sessions give people the chance to chat with local foster carers, ask questions, and hear more about the support, training and payments available. There is no pressure to commit, and friends or family members are welcome to attend.

The next session will take place at Bluebird Café, Wedmore, on Tuesday 15 Septemeber, from 6pm to 8pm. People can drop in at any time during the session, although registering attendance in advance is helpful.

To find out more or register for upcoming information sessions, visit https://www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk/events.

For more information about fostering visit fosteringinsomerset.org.uk or call 0800 587 9900 to speak to our friendly team. Getting in touch does not commit you to anything but it could be the first step towards making a lasting difference to a child’s life