Hartlepool charity Changing Futures North East sees rise in fostering interest
A Hartlepool-based charity has seen a rise in people expressing an interest in fostering over recent months.
Changing Futures North East has seen a spike in fostering interest since mid-September, something founder Graham Alton has dubbed "empty nest syndrome”.
Graham said: “Empty nest syndrome is the sense of loss some parents feel when their children leave home, and that create a massive hole in their lives.
“It is an annual phenomenon that in the wake of Freshers Week.
"We notice a significant upsurge in enquires, almost always from middle-aged parents who in some ways are mourning the loss of the family dynamic they’d been used to for almost 20 years.”
He continued: “Many have spent years cooking, cleaning and caring then literally overnight, that’s snatched away, so it is a really normal reaction to want to fill that gap.
“Parenting is in their DNA and many realise they still have love to offer, so by fostering, it provides an opportunity to open their home to a child desperately in need of some TLC and a supportive family.”
According to Changing Futures North East, one in 88 children in the region are in care – the highest rate in England.
Graham said: “There are nowhere near enough foster families for the sheer volume of looked after children, and if a family can’t be found, that can be devastating for a young person.
“Some may be moved hundreds of miles from home, ripping away their support network.
"It is not the start in life they need or deserve.”
For more information, ring 01429 891 444 or email [email protected].