Fostering in Kent

Foster Care in Kent

With close proximity to London, the South coast and its own selection of coastal destinations, as well as a range of large and smaller towns across the county, Kent is a highly sought after location for many reasons. Home to 591 schools, referred to as ‘the garden of England’, and with approximately 5,500 new homes being built in Kent each year, the opportunity for families moving to the area and looking to grow is huge.

And what better way to expand your family than by opening your home to a young person or child who needs your support and guidance?

Becoming a foster carer in Kent enables you to experience your local area through the eyes of a young person, while providing them with a stable and supportive home in which to thrive and embrace life and new opportunities.

In March 2021 there were approximately 57,380 children living with foster families in England, with a high number of these concentrated around Kent as an affluent and sought after area. Because Kent is situated as a primary point of entry to the country, 18% of the children being cared for by foster carers in Kent are currently considered unaccompanied asylum-seeking children; a figure which is rising with the increased demand for support across borders.

With around 45,370 foster families in England, Kent is one of the growing areas where foster families are constantly and consistently needed to help raise children from all over the world. In England alone, there is an urgent need for 7,000 more foster families – with children of all ages, from one year to fifteen+ years, seeking a safe place to call home.

This is Lee and Karen’s story.

“Fostering is the best decision we’ve ever made. Every day, a new challenge, exciting challenges.”

Before fostering, Lee had worked a number of different jobs. While none of those specific jobs nurtured the necessary skills to become a foster carer, he had spent his childhood helping to raise his younger brother and knew he had the right levels of empathy and care to make a difference in a young child’s life.
Fostering became a way of harnessing those same feelings, and gave Lee and Karen a level of happiness they couldn’t have imagined.

Read the full story here.