​Empty Nesters can help vulnerable children by becoming foster parents

If your children are moving onto pastures new this autumn and taking their next steps into the world of adulthood and university, then Foster with Bury would like to hear from you.

It’s the time of year when parents wave their teenagers off to stretch their wings on their first step to independence and Foster with Bury is urging more families to become foster parents once their children fly the nest.

This stage in a parent’s life could be an ideal opportunity for many to consider fostering - turning what to many is a feeling of emptiness into a positive experience, while making a huge difference to a young person’s life.

Foster with Bury is looking for parents, who are contemplating what an empty house feels like, to consider opening up their hearts and homes to welcome a child/young person in need of care, support and love. Having a foster child in your home can give you a fresh purpose and a new lease of life.

Fostering is a role that welcomes people from all walks of life, but parents already have the invaluable parenting experience and life skills to offer a loving and stable home to children and young people who deserve brighter futures. They understand the need to nurture a child/young person in all aspects of their lives and those who have children at university are ambitious for the youngsters in their care and enthusiastic for their further or higher education.

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Bury Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children, young people and skills, said: “As children grow up and move on to pastures new, it’s not unusual to see parents going through what’s known as ‘Empty Nester’s Syndrome’ where they can experience feelings of grief and loneliness.

“Instead of focusing on the negative, we want parents to reflect on their life’s purpose and make them aware of how valuable they could be to a foster child in the borough. As they enter this new stage in life where children are leaving home, they’ll be in the perfect position to welcome a new child or young person and they’ll have built up so much experience and care, making them invaluable to a looked after child in need.”

In order to be eligible to foster you must be over 21 years old, be a full-time resident in the UK or have leave to remain and have a spare bedroom. Whatever your race, gender, sexuality, living arrangements, age or employment status, Foster with Bury wants to hear from you.

It doesn’t matter whether you are:

• Heterosexual or LGBT+

• Married, living with someone or single

• Living in your own home or renting

• Able-bodied or living with a disability

• Working or not

• Living with your own children or without

• Minority ethnic background

• Male or female.

For further information on becoming a foster carer with Foster with Bury, please call 0800 9555 311 or visit www.fosterwithbury.co.uk and fill in our contact form and member of the team will be in touch.

ENDS

Press release issued: 14 September 2020.