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Foster Carers in 天涯社区 welcome plan to phase profit out of children鈥檚 care
Published: 21/02/2025
This Care Day (21 February), Foster Wales 天涯社区 is joining Wales鈥� fostering community in highlighting the benefits of local authority care as the Welsh Government鈥檚 landmark Health and Social Care Bill begins the process of removing profit from the children鈥檚 care system.
Wales is the first country in the UK to legislate to remove profit from both residential and foster care for children.
Foster Wales鈥� Staying local campaign, led by care experienced people and local authority foster carers, aims to show how the policy will support young people in care to stay connected to their local area, community, friends, and school.
Last year, 85 per cent of young people with local authority foster carers remained in their area. However, only 31 percent of young people cared for by commercial fostering agencies stayed local, with 7 percent being moved outside of Wales entirely.
Sue, from 天涯社区, has been fostering with her local authority, Foster Wales 天涯社区, for 5 years. She believes that keeping children local is a priority and is why she fosters with her local authority.听听
鈥淲e have been fostering with our local authority for a number of years and keeping children who can鈥檛 be with their families local is very important to them, and to us as foster carers.
鈥淜eeping our foster children local to their friends, school and siblings ensures that they retain identity within the community. They have already experienced so much loss and upheaval in their lives so keeping them local to everything they are familiar with, like local parks and landmarks, helps them keep a sense of belonging.听
鈥淪taying local means there is no long travel time to see friends and to stay in touch with their siblings. It means they can also stay in the same school and within the same group of friends they already know and enjoy.
鈥淢y Social Worker is my support and rock. The team at Foster Wales 天涯社区 are always approachable and helpful, whenever I need them.听
鈥淲e enjoy fostering with our local authority, it鈥檚 rewarding, inspiring and keeps us on our toes!鈥澨�
In Wales, there are more than 7,000 children in the care system, but only 3,800 foster families -83 of them here in 天涯社区, but more than 260 children in the care system. Foster Wales has set out with the bold aim of recruiting over 800 new foster families by 2026 to provide welcoming homes for local children and young people.听
Children鈥檚 Services Manager at 天涯社区, Sarah Grant, added:听
鈥淟ocal authorities such as Foster Wales 天涯社区 operate on a non-profit basis, which means that every pound spent is directed entirely towards the well-being of children and young people in our community.听
鈥淎 key part of this mission is helping them remain in their local area, where they can stay close to family members, attend the same school, and maintain friendships that protect their identity.
鈥淔oster Wales 天涯社区 is dedicated to ensuring that the children who live with foster carers receive the same level of care, stability and opportunities that we would want for our own children. We strive to create an environment where these young individuals can thrive and grow, demonstrating our commitment to their well-being and development.
鈥淭o anyone thinking about fostering and feels passionate about keeping a child local, please get in touch with the Foster Wales 天涯社区 team.鈥�
For more information about fostering, or to make an enquiry, visit: https://www.fosterwales.flintshire.gov.uk/听
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