Could you foster siblings and help families stay together?

Cumbria Fostering is appealing for people with room in their homes and their hearts to foster more than one child and consider fostering siblings.

The fostering service, which works on behalf of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, would love to hear from families who have room for a sibling group of two or more, to help keep brothers and sisters together.

Keeping siblings together means they can support each other throughout their time in care and helps them feel safer by offering them a sense of continuity at a difficult time in their lives.

Lara and Mark Brennand, from Workington, have been foster carers for three years.

They decided to foster siblings long-term, because they live on a farm and had room for more than just one child.

Lara said: "Mark and I don’t have children between us as we are blended family, but we had two spare bedrooms and I had given up my job and, living on the farm, we just felt we had so much to offer."

They are now long-term carers for a brother and sister aged five and eight, and Lara adds: "From the start they fitted right in, like the last piece of the jigsaw, and they are part of our family now."

While Lara admits that fostering can be a ‘roller-coaster ride’ - seeing the children thrive and gain confidence is the greatest reward.

She said: "It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life but also the easiest, if that makes sense? It can be a roller-coaster ride but the smiles on their faces when they go to bed at night makes it all worthwhile."

If you have been thinking about fostering and have the room at home and in your life to care for more than one child, then Cumbria Fostering would love to hear from you.

Call them on 0300 013 2065 or register your interest at cumbriafostering.org.uk.