Loving homes sought to keep siblings in foster care together

One of the sibling groups is Ellie aged 10, Holly aged nine and Cleo aged seven. The sisters are delightfully lively children with a lot of energy who don't like to sit around much. They are boisterous girls who thrive on adult attention and have a very loving nature.

Read more on their story at: Ellie, Holly and Cleo - Fostering (lancashire.gov.uk)

Notes to editors: Names (and image) have been changed to anonymise the identity of the children.

The council are looking for more foster carers to join their existing, amazing fostering team. Their carers come from all walks of life and areas of the county. They provide a range of skills to meet the varied needs of all children in care. They are looking for everyday people to make a difference in Lancashire and do something incredible by providing a safe, stable, and caring home for a child. Foster carers need to have a spare room and must be over 21.

Foster carers receive an allowance of between £379.20 and £497.24 per week for each child they care for.

When a sibling group of three or more children are matched and placed at the same time, the foster carers will receive an additional incentive one-off payment of £1,101 after the children have been successfully fostered for two months.

County Councillor Cosima Towneley said: "The family is at the heart of what we do at Lancashire County Council and a very important part of that is keeping siblings together.

"We seek to give our young people the best possible start and this means a loving and stable home with vital bonds with their siblings intact.

"We invest in our foster carers, because we believe they support our young people in our care to reach their full potential.

"The latest Fostering Network report earlier this year found the top three motivations to foster were making a difference to the lives of children in care, offering children the opportunity to be part of their family and the enjoyment of working with children.

 "Apart from offering these opportunities, Lancashire has a unique package of benefits that come when fostering with us. Our fostering service staff provide financial and practical support and training, including courses at the county council's Foster Carer Academy and access to the Foster Carer Mentoring Programme. There is also peer support through local groups, regular social activities and the Fostering Communities Project.

"To find out more about becoming a foster carer, know someone who might, or to find out more about the events, go to our fostering website.  We very much look forward to welcoming you into the wider Lancashire family."

Debbie and her partner Brian are foster carers for Lancashire County Council. They have cared for a brother and sister, aged seven and eight.

Debbie said: "Before we even went to the panel, we had been matched with a brother and sister. We were excited to welcome them into our home and family as we already have our biological children, who were 18 and 19. It was a really good match and they fitted straight in like they had always been part of the family.

“It has been good to keep them together as they are their own little support system and know what each other are going through. They have been with us just over a year now and even though caring for siblings does come with its own set of challenges, knowing that you are keeping them together helps you overcome these.

"The feeling that you know you are giving these children a safe and forever home is like no other.”

There are several events around the county where people considering fostering can meet foster carers and the county council team, who would be delighted to answer any questions you may have. For the latest events in your area, see: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/fostering/events/.

For more information about becoming a foster carer, call the fostering recruitment team on 0300 123 6723 or visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/fostering