A drop-in session for people who may be interested in becoming a foster carer is taking place at the Raploch Campus on Tuesday 19 May (5.30pm-7pm).

The event, which takes place during Foster Care fortnight (11 May – 24 May), will be an opportunity to have an informal chat about fostering with Stirling’s Council’s family Care Team.

Convener of Stirling Council’s Social Work and Education Committee, Cllr Bob Buchanan said: “If you’ve ever thought about fostering and wondered if it could be right for you, this is a great opportunity to start the conversation.

“Foster carers change the lives of children and young people who haven’t had the best start in life by providing safety, stability and nurture and more of them are urgently needed across Stirling’s communities.

“Foster carers come from all walks of life. What matters most is having a warm heart, patience, and the willingness to offer support and care to children and young people when it’s needed most.

“Come along to our drop-in event on at the Raploch Campus on Tuesday and our staff will be there welcome you and to have a conversation about what’s involved.” 

Stirling Council provides extensive training and professional development for all foster carers to help them carry out their fostering tasks.

Fostering is often a short-term arrangement lasting a few weeks, but can sometimes be in place for a longer term. Foster carers receive a weekly payment to cover the cost of caring for a child.

Drop in on the day, call 01786 404040 or email adoption-fostering@stirling.gov.uk for more details.

For more information on fostering in the Stirling area, visit: www.stirling.gov.uk/fostering 

Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest awareness raising campaign for fostering. It runs from Monday 11 May – Sunday 24 May and the theme this year is ‘This is Fostering’, celebrating and raising awareness of the different stories across the fostering community. Examples of positive feedback from foster carers across Stirling are included in the notes to editors.