Call for carers from Black and Minority Ethnic communities
Gloucestershire County Council is appealing for people from the Black and Minority Ethnic community to consider fostering and adoption. 
Foster carers and adopters are particularly needed for older children, teenagers and siblings. Since the last BME recruitment week this time last year, we have successfully recruited five BME households as foster carers.
Steve and Elaine Anderson are among these carers. Steve is Black Caribbean, Elaine is white British and the child they foster is Black African.
Elaine said: “Although we have only been fostering for a year, we have found it very rewarding. We knew there would be lots of challenges and changes in our lives and there have been ups and downs but overall it has been a very positive experience.
“We have had plenty of support from social workers, other carers and through training opportunities. Fostering has given us a new focus.”
The county council is organising ‘open information sessions’ and information stands during BME week, which runs from February 28th to March 6th for people to come along and find out more about fostering. Saleha Moolla, a field support worker, will be on hand at the open information sessions.
Cllr Paul McLain, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "We need more people from the Black and Minority Ethnic community to come forward to foster and adopt. We want to offer local BME children the chance to be cared for and brought up within their own cultural background and ethnic origin. 
“Our children deserve the best possible start in life. That means offering the opportunity to foster and adopt to the widest possible range of people. It is always our ambition to find a family to reflect the child's ethnicity. It’s what children and young people in care have told us they want.”
Foster carer open information sessions for BME Week
Tuesday, March 1st: Chequers Bridge, Painswick Road, Glos, GL4 6PR, 7.30pm to 9pm
							  Saturday, March 5th: The Friendship Café, 109-113 Barton Street, Gloucester, GL1 4HR, 11am to 12.30pm 
Information stands
Thursday, March 3rd: ASDA, Gloucester (10am to 4pm)
									   Friday, March 4th: Sainsbury’s Cheltenham, Prior’s Road (10am to 4pm)
									   Saturday, March 5th: Farmer’s Market, Stroud (8am to 2pm)
The county council has now speeded up the adoption process for suitable applicants. There is also good support and training for those who decide to foster and adopt. Foster carers are paid a weekly maintenance allowance and an additional payment reflecting the skills they can offer, which can amount to more than £300 to foster a teenager. 
There is also the opportunity to seek advice and support from social workers and other carers from a similar ethnicity during the adoption and fostering process and information packs are available in other languages.
Applications are accepted from all sectors of the society and people can be married, single, unmarried couples, gay or lesbian, have their own children, retired, a homeowner or unemployed.
Those interested in fostering can call either Saleha Moolla, field support worker, on 01452 425007 or Agnes Koszewska, field support worker on 01452 427670 or Gloucestershire County Council's fostering team on 01242 532654.
Anyone wishing to find out more about adoption can contact Gloucestershire County Council’s Adoption Team on 01242 532597.