BRADFORD Council’s Children’s Services staff are taking part in this week’s Clap for Carers tribute today, but will be clapping in recognition of the work that its foster carers and residential workers in Bradford's children’s homes are doing.

During these unprecedented times, Bradford Council’s Children’s Services staff wanted to join together to show their appreciation for the entire health and social care workforce but particularly express thanks and recognition for the valuable work foster carers and residential workers do to protect and keep the most vulnerable safe.

Staff from across Children’s Social Care, from social workers through to senior managers, have videoed themselves clapping and cheering for the foster carers and residential workers in the district who are still working hard to look after and support the children during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Councillor Adrian Farley, portfolio holder for Children’s and Families, said: "Our foster carers and residential workers are at the heart of the care we provide our most vulnerable children and young people in the district.

“Everyone in Children’s Services and I would like to thank them for their love, kindness, generosity and commitment, now in these difficult times and always.

“We will need more foster carers before this pandemic is over, and we continue to recruit and train new fostering families during the pandemic. I hope someone reading this today will decide to enquire about becoming a foster carer.”

There are more than 720 children living with over 500 fostering families in the Bradford district.

Bradford Fostering Service is calling on the residents of the district to consider fostering as a career path to help the most vulnerable children coming in to the care system.

The video can be viewed here.

There is always a need for new foster carers. As foster carers ‘work’ from home by the nature of the role, you will have the flexibility of working from home and the security knowing there will always be a need to care for vulnerable young people.

Although the offices are temporarily closed, Bradford Fostering Service is still actively recruiting and assessing new foster carers and is happy to talk to anyone who wants to find out more about fostering.

Visit the website www.fosterbradford.co.uk to request your free guide to fostering or sign up for the fostering newsletter.