A fostering agency in Stonehouse is celebrating the resilience and hard work of its foster parents during the national Foster Care Fortnight.

The annual campaign, which runs from 11-24 May, aims to convey a varied and authentic picture of the contributions of the people involved in fostering and how foster care transforms the lives of children and young people.

Foster parents play a vital role in looking after some of society’s most vulnerable children and young people and Fosterplus, which provides fostering services in Stonehouse, is paying tribute to its foster parents who have continued to provide invaluable support during these unprecedented times.

Angela Turland, registered manager for Fosterplus, said: “I would like to pay tribute to the tremendous work of our foster parents and staff who are playing a vital role in looking after some of our most vulnerable children and young people.

“Covid-19 has seen a cessation of hobbies and young people haven’t been able to socialise with their friends or do some of the things they love.

“These voids have had to be filled and foster parents have really stepped up during this time, therefore myself and Fosterplus would like to say a huge thank you.”

Fosterplus’ values are rooted in giving children and young people a sense of continuity, focusing on finding stable and loving homes for children in their care.

The Covid-19 outbreak has brought added challenges to foster parents and these values are more important than ever as the agency finds new ways to stay in touch and support those parents.

Angela said: “Foster parents make a huge difference to the lives of the children and young people we support, so it’s important that we consider everyone’s needs by taking great care to find the most suitable matches for our foster parents and the children we care for.”

Foster parents are still needed during the covid-19 crisis in the Stonehouse area and whilst the physical offices are temporarily closed following government guidance, Fosterplus have measures in place to receive requests from prospective foster parents, with all initial support being offered virtually.

If you would like to find out more about fostering, call 0800 369 8512 or visit bit.ly/2WcpFKg