Could you provide a loving and caring home for a teenager in Cornwall?

If so then please come along to an informal drop in event being staged by Cornwall Council’s Fostering Service at the Shire Hall Meeting Room, Bodmin on Tuesday, March 4, from 10am-12.30pm to find out more.

The Cornwall says that there are some 270 families who foster, but with record numbers of children coming into care, more are urgently needed.

Adding that particularly needed are people who can care for older children and teenagers and people who can offer a permanent foster care for those children that need a loving home until they move on to independent living. And that foster carers help some of the most vulnerable children and young people by providing guidance, stability and love.

Shannon is 16 years old and has been in foster care for 18 months.

Since being in foster care, Shannon has made "fantastic" progress in her life and is doing really well at school. Her confidence has really grown. Shannon now has the building blocks to allow her to grow into a confident and happy adult.

“Being in care has completely changed my life for the better.” Said Shannon. “It’s the first time I have genuinely felt happy in my whole life. It’s given me hope and a future”

Jenny is a permanent foster carer in Cornwall. “It’s so rewarding and fulfilling having the continuity, being able to make a difference over a longer period” she said. “We have children who are now adults and come back with children of their own, we are like extended family and grandparents”

Foster carers come from a range of backgrounds and lifestyles. You can become a foster carer regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, age (as long as you are over 21), cultural background and financial status.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, you can attend the informal drop-in event from 10am-12.30pm on 4 March, at Shore House, Bodmin or call the Fostering Recruitment Team on 01872 323 638. www.cornwall.gov.uk/fostering.