Bondholders urged to become ‘fostering friendly’

Marketing Derby Bondholders are being urged to support some of the city’s most vulnerable children by becoming ‘Fostering Friendly’.

To coincide with Foster Care Fortnight, which began on Monday, Derby City Council’s fostering service is encouraging more businesses and organisations to sign up to the scheme.

There are currently more than 600 Derby children in care and more foster carers are desperately needed to provide safe and loving foster homes.

The city council itself is a Fostering Friendly employer – and businesses of all sizes across the city are now being urged to make the same pledge.

Fostering Friendly employers commit to support employees who foster and help promote and celebrate fostering.

To join, all a business needs to do is a agree a flexible working policy, offering foster carers and those preparing to foster a minimum of five days paid leave for their fostering commitments, such as training or settling a new child into their home.

According to the city council, almost 40% of foster carers combine fostering with other work.

Those who do say that a supportive employer can make all the difference, enabling them to balance employment with looking after children.

Judy Levitt, principal service manager in early help and children’s social care at the city council, said: “The Fostering Friendly scheme is free to join, and employers will receive all the advice and support they need to implement it.

“By signing up, your business can play a vital part in recruiting and supporting foster carers in Derby and the huge impact they have in transforming local children’s lives.

“We’re passionate about finding children foster homes within the city, so they can remain close to what matters to them, including family members, friends and school. We desperately need more foster carers to help us do this.”

As well as helping to change the lives of local children, the fostering service believes that becoming Fostering Friendly has several benefits for businesses.

This includes showing a commitment to staff and the local community, becoming an attractive employer for foster carers and aiding staff retention.

Members of the scheme can also proudly display the Fostering Friendly logo on their website and social media channels.

Businesses interested in joining the Fostering Friendly scheme should e-mail Judy at judy.levitt@derby.gov.uk or call 01332 640284.

To find out more about fostering visit https://www.derby.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/fostering/ .

A video explaining more about the Fostering Friendly scheme can also be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzR0WnxZIuY&t=6s .