Isle of Wight Fostering

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“You really are on your own” 💬

Today’s report by Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain makes for heartbreaking reading, but sadly, does not come as a surprise based on what we regularly hear from the foster carers, children and young people we work with.

No care leaver should be placed in a situation where, at 18, they have no one to turn to. This is a failure of the services and systems that are supposed to support them.

The report is a powerful and essential piece of work, shining a light on the unacceptable experiences of young people leaving the care system and the stark inequalities they face. It highlights that the majority of the young people who died were living in semi-independent accommodation, but clearly without the support they needed to make a successful transition into adulthood.

Supporting care leavers is something we have long campaigned for at The Fostering Network. We know that many more foster carers would like to continue supporting young people through Staying Put, enabling them to remain living with their foster families during this crucial transition period.

However, a lack of adequate funding for Staying Put means that this is simply not possible for many foster carers. We will continue to urge the government to increase funding for Staying Put and extend the scheme to young people up to the age of 25.

We would not expect young people without care experience to leave home at 18 with little or no support to navigate adulthood. Care-experienced young people deserve exactly the same opportunity to have stability, support and someone to turn to when they need it.

Thank you to Ashley and Clare for shining a much-needed light on this tragedy.

You can read the report here:

https://bit.ly/4gQlQDF

Ever thought about fostering but weren't sure where to start?
Many of our foster carers once asked themselves the same question.

Taking that first step could change a child's life, and yours.
Call our duty line to speak to a member of the team: 01983 823160

Did you know there isn't just one way to foster?
Whatever your circumstances, there may be a fostering opportunity that's right for you.

You could provide:
🏠 Short-term care
💙 Long-term care
🚨 Emergency fostering
🌟 Respite support

🪜 Take the first step: https://ow.ly/s5xq50Zt30b

Autism. ADHD & LD Drop-In

Wednesday 12th & 26th August

1pm - 2:30pm

The Drop-In sessions are for:

Children and young people aged 5-25 who identify as Autistic, ADHD, LD (no diagnosis required), Who have already accessed sessions or awaiting sessions at the Youth Trust.

Danielle and Dora are here to offer advice and help:

With transitioning out of sessions
Keeping in touch and troubleshooting
Giving children, young people and their parents/carers an opportunity for an informal visit of the building before sessions start
With a space to chat

All set up and ready for The Garlic Festival.
✨ It’s looking like another hot weekend so stay hydrated. Our tent has shade too.