An independent fostering provider is looking for short-term foster carers in Worcester.

Five Rivers Child Care wants carers who can offer children a home for two weeks at a time, giving respite to longer-term foster carers.

The provider offers its long term foster carers two weeks respite each year. In that time, children in their care will stay with another local foster carer.

Ideally, a child will go to the same respite foster carers’ home each time, but due to a national shortage in foster carers, it’s not always possible to offer this stability.

Jennifer Sutton, service manager at Five Rivers Child Care, said: “A child in care needs stability, and when it does come time for their hard-working foster carers to go on holiday to recharge their batteries, or have some time off, because of the national shortage of foster carers, it’s rare that a child goes back to the same foster carer that has provided respite care previously.

“This is not the ideal solution and has the potential to add to a child’s trauma. 

Fostering virtual event

“We’re looking for people who can provide care to children in need, when their permanent foster carers are on annual leave.

“Short term respite foster carers have to be over the age of 21, have a spare bedroom, but don’t have to own their own home. You can be single, in a couple, or in a same-sex relationship and you do not have to have your own children.

“We desperately need people to come forward to provide care and support to children and young people for a maximum of two weeks per child, throughout the year.”

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A virtual event will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 10am and Tuesday, May 17 at 7pm for people who are interested in learning more about becoming a short term foster carer.

To register or for more information about becoming a foster carer, visit www.five-rivers.org/

Five Rivers Child Care provides locally-based support services to foster carers, children and young people, and their families through a range of child-centred practices.

As a social enterprise operating in foster care, any surplus income the organisation makes is re-invested to provide more foster care support, more training and goes towards recruiting more foster carers to give stable homes to more children.