08 October 2021
A recruitment campaign has been launched to urgently find more foster families in Jersey to help with the growing number of children in residential care.
There are currently 74 children looked after and 48 approved foster carers in the Island.
Mark Owers, Director of Safeguarding and Care, at the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, said: "We urgently need to find between five and ten new foster families due to the large number of young people who can't live safely with their birth families, due to difficulties, made worse by the pandemic.
"We are very fortunate in Jersey to have many wonderful foster parents but there is still a real need for more people to come forward. We want to be able to offer the right placement, choice, for the children who come into our care."
Islanders who would like to find out more about fostering a child, in Jersey, are encouraged to attend a drop-in event, this Saturday, in the Central Market between 10am – 5pm to speak to the Fostering team.
Mr Owers added: "Foster carers make a huge difference to the lives of children and young people. Foster carers provide a safe, loving home. With their love and support, the children in their care quickly adapt and often thrive. Dedicated foster carers help to make sure that being in care is no barrier to young people achieving their ambitions. In Jersey we have care leavers with success stories which show that foster carers can literally change lives."
Ceira, who was fostered as a teenager, and is now studying for a degree as a social worker, shares her story to encourage foster families to come forward. Watch: Ceira's story
More information can be found here: Fostering and adoption (gov.je)
gov.je