Monmouthshire County Council urgently needs more foster carers to keep up with the growing demand to provide homes for local children. The council is calling on more people to become foster carers in 2020 as it launches #20 Reasons – a campaign to encourage people within the county to consider fostering.

Monmouthshire is one of nine local authorities who have joined forces to create #20Reasons. The campaign uses real foster carers and their motives for fostering to inform and inspire more families to consider looking after a child or young person.

The 20 reasons to foster range from making a difference to a child’s life by giving them a sense of love, belonging and security; to being part of building a positive future and; helping to keep a child in their local area so they can stay in school and near their friends.

Monmouthshire’s Foster Care Team say all types of foster carers are needed but particularly those who would consider fostering teenagers, therapeutic carers, respite carers, emergency carers, sibling groups and children with additional needs.

Tammy is one of the foster carers supporting the campaign. She has been a foster carer for almost seven years. After years of trying to start a family of their own, Tammy and her partner chose to take a different approach through fostering.

Tammy, said: “I realised that there are so many children that need a loving home and that I had so much love that I wanted to give to a child so it just made sense that this is how we could build our family.

I have a really close bond with all of the children that I’ve fostered. One of our foster children is now 17 and doesn’t live with us anymore but still comes over for a Sunday dinner every week. Our current long-term foster children even call us mum and dad, and there’s no better feeling than that really.”

Monmouthshire’s Cabinet Member for Social Care, Safeguarding and Health, Cllr Penny Jones said: “A new year means fantastic new opportunities and this could be the year you foster a child in Monmouthshire. We urgently need more foster carers to offer a home to children and young people across the county. Fostering with us means you can help to keep a local child in their school and also support a young person who hasn’t always have the best start to life. This campaign goes further than just 20 reasons to foster – it’s the chance to do something that can completely change someone else’s life. I would encourage anyone who’s ever thought about fostering, no matter your gender, age or background, to just pick up the phone or visit our website to find out how you can start an application with us.”

If you’ve been thinking about fostering or would like more information visit: www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/fostering