Church leaders are launching a search for new foster homes, as the 100 Homes campaign reveals 615 children in Nottingham are looking for families.
Childrens’ shoes were laid out on the steps of the Council House in Old Market Square, ahead of Foster Care Fortnight which begins on May 13.
Faith groups in the city have been running the 100 Homes campaign for almost a year and say 12 fosters homes have already been found, with another eight in the pipeline.
Rev Canon Steve Silvester, the rector of St Nic’s Church on Maid Marian Way, helped set up the scheme and has now been approved as a foster carers with his wife, Jane.
They will have their first child placed with them in the summer.
Michael encouraging us about the progress of fostering in Nottingham and highlighting a new information evening at Trent Vineyard on the 12th June.#trentvineyard #Nottingham #notts #fostering #FosterCare pic.twitter.com/1kKdH8i5s1
— Nottingham City Prayer (@nottscityprayer) May 9, 2019
He said: “The process of becoming a foster carer has been a really positive experience for Jane and me.
“I think as a foster carer you need to have a capacity to love. Having had children already, there are all sorts of skills you have as a parent – but through the application process, I realised that there are a whole range of other skills you need as a foster carer.
“It’s a big job – but you have to be willing to love them, to give them your time and energy and effort,” he added.
Michael Lyden of Nottingham City Prayer celebrated 100 Homes’ success so far.
He said: “This great start is already delivering great outcomes for some of the city’s most vulnerable children.
“Yet it feels like we are on the cusp of a much bigger wave that will see the full 100 new homes come in.
We understand that not everyone can foster but we do believe that everyone can do something that can make a difference to the city’s most vulnerable children.”
Amazing and sobering picture of our shoe installation at the city chambers. 615 pairs of shoes for each kids in care in Nottingham. Find out more about helping these kids at our next event. https://t.co/RfYPq9Ff0k pic.twitter.com/CexyuF6IWa
— 100 Homes (@100HomesNotts) May 10, 2019
A friendly and informal fostering information evening with Nottingham City Council is being held Tuesday 21 May at Loxley House from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. To find out more, visit www.fosteringnottingham.com
The next 100 Homes Information Evening on 12 June at 7.30pm in Trent Vineyard. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/100-homes-information-evening-june-2019-tickets-54343880008.
