Derbyshire residents urged to consider fostering as pandemic impacts job market

Five Rivers Child Care is encouraging residents to consider applying to foster a child or young person.

With redundancies and job losses being announced by businesses across Derbyshire, including Rolls-Royce and the National Trust, Five Rivers Child Care is encouraging local residents to consider applying to foster a child or young person.

The number of children needing foster care in the UK has risen by 44 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic.

With more children and young people from Derbyshire in need of a loving and safe home every day, fostering could provide the job stability and flexibility that many are looking for in a time of uncertainty.

Sarah Cooper, Five Rivers Child Care team manager for Derbyshire, said: “We’d like to encourage caring individuals, who may be facing redundancy or a change in their job situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, to consider how rewarding fostering a child or young person can be.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the fostering application process is still ongoing and the firm is keen to stress that new carers are still very much needed.

There have been some changes made to the application process during the Covid-19 outbreak, such as speaking to applicants on the phone or via video call instead of visiting them to ensure as much can as possible be done remotely before the in-person application begins.

Five Rivers Child Care is looking for individuals, couples and families from all backgrounds across Derbyshire who may be interested in foster care.

Ms Cooper added: “Fostering offers flexible working, a competitive fostering allowance, the comfort of working from home and job security because of the constant demand for carers.

"There is no need for previous experience, and you may find that you have transferable skills from current or past employment that will be invaluable to you as a foster carer. We’re eager to hear from people who are nurturing, compassionate and enjoy supporting others.”

For more information, contact 0345 266 0272, email [email protected] or visit www.five-rivers.org.