Fostering Friendly
Could your business or place of work support our fostering community and children in care?
We are looking for all types of businesses and employers large and small to become Fostering Friendly.
When you become Fostering Friendly, your business becomes an important part of a network dedicated to supporting foster carers and children across Buckinghamshire.
Together, we can create a foster care friendly Buckinghamshire and make a difference to the lives of children in care.
What is Fostering Friendly?
Fostering Friendly is an initiative created by The Fostering Network, the UK’s leading fostering charity. The scheme aims to encourage businesses and organisations to support employees who are foster carers, or those on their journey to become a foster carer.
With nearly 40% of foster carers combining fostering with other work, becoming a Fostering Friendly employer can make a vital difference in the local community. Offering support for employees who have chosen to foster doesn’t only help to retain valuable employees but also encourages even more residents to consider fostering, helping us to meet the urgently growing need for foster carers.
Joining the scheme gives your business the chance to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility and community involvement, while helping Foster with Bucks to create a stronger community of support for foster carers and the 500 children in our care.
Who can join?
Businesses of all sizes with employees or customers in Buckinghamshire can help by enrolling into the national Fostering Friendly scheme, which assists with creating fostering friendly HR policy for all foster carers in your employment. Even the smallest business can make a positive impact by helping to build a welcoming environment for foster carers and the children they look after.
What support do we offer?
Our dedicated team will guide your business through sign up to Fostering Friendly and are always ready to assist with any questions you may have. Our friendly team can also work with you to find the best way for your business to get involved locally and make a real difference for foster carers and children in Buckinghamshire.
Benefits for your business
Once approved, your business will enjoy a variety of benefits, including:
- a mention on the national Fostering Network page on the list of Fostering Friendly businesses, as well as your support being recognised on our Foster with Bucks website
- a welcome pack from Fostering Network, including a PR template
- digital toolkit with resources to celebrate joining Fostering Friendly including social media templates, downloadable posters, leaflets and more
- a newsletter that features fostering news, support opportunities and advice
- a window sticker to showcase your support for Foster with Bucks
Let’s work together to build brighter futures
Any support your organisation can offer Foster with Bucks can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our foster carers and 500 children in care.
If you’re unsure if you can join Fostering Friendly, what support you can offer, or if you’d like to suggest other ways to get involved, you can contact our friendly team.
To support our foster carers on top of an inclusive HR policy, could you:
- share fostering information and opportunities with staff and customers
- following our social media channels across Buckinghamshire Council and Foster with Bucks platforms and liking, sharing or commenting on our fostering posts
- using digital assets provided in our digital toolkit or Fostering Network’s welcome pack to showcase your new Fostering Friendly
- displaying fostering posters and leaflets or providing a space for display stands within premises or where possible, external resident-facing areas
- providing internal or external outreach opportunities within your business, such as offering a space for a pop-up stall on your premises, inviting us to speak at events, meetings or providing staff fostering information sessions ran by our fostering service
- contributing resources for events; venues, prizes or refreshments
- offering benefits for our foster carers or children in care. A one off or a long-term benefit free or discounted tickets, products or service discounts
- creating opportunities for care leavers and foster carers, as well as our children in care, such as offering job interviews for care leavers, providing skills building, or even funding or inviting a foster child to fulfil their dream of being a zookeeper for a day or driving in a fire truck.
- include supporting foster carers and care leavers in your corporate social responsibility and HR policies
- support events such as Foster Care Fortnight, recognising achievements of our foster carers and children in their care.
You’re invited to our Fostering Friendly Business Brunch!
We are delighted to invite Bucks based businesses, employees and entrepreneurs to our Business Brunch Event on 29 January, where we will be unveiling our Fostering Friendly scheme, together with Fostering Network.