Sponsored Editorial

Christmas is ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ but sadly, for some babies and very young children in Kent it can be a difficult and stressful time.

Children can become separated from their birth families for many reasons but still deserve to experience a fun, safe and loving environment where they can enjoy all the wonderful Christmas traditions and make positive memories.

Kent Fostering are seeking to recruit more foster carers to join our fantastic fostering community and provide nurturing homes for some of our youngest and most vulnerable children.

Siobhan Dunn is in the first year of her fostering journey and lives with her husband and three children. She is currently caring for young siblings with additional needs: “We foster siblings - a baby and a toddler with additional needs, and we adored them both immediately.

“It can be challenging managing different age groups and needs but every tiny step forward feels amazing and reminds me just why I chose to do this job. I know that there is help and support available, whenever we need it.

“As a fairly large family ourselves, we realise the importance of family and fostering siblings has been an amazing experience for us. As a foster carer for Kent Fostering, I feel both valued and appreciated and I feel like I am doing the job that is truly meant for me.”

The children in our care need safe, stable and nurturing homes, where they can develop physically, emotionally, and educationally and make healthy, positive, safe relationships while a more permanent plan is made for them.

Foster carers receive up to £341.41 per week per child and two weeks holiday payment per year. Enhanced payments are also available for carers of children with complex needs.

Mark Vening, head of Kent Fostering said: “Christmas is a time for family and we are working extremely hard to give the babies and toddlers in our care the opportunity to enjoy a loving home this year.

“We urgently need families with excellent interpersonal skills and experience of caring for very young children who are able to work closely with children’s parents or their potential adoptive parents by facilitating family time (contact). This helps to provide optimum opportunities to allow healthy and safe relationships to develop.

To find out more about Kent Fostering and how you could become a foster carer please call our enquiries team today on 03000420 002 or visit www.kentfostering.co.uk for more information.