Hundreds more foster carers needed in Sheffield - how to apply

There are currently 647 looked after children in the city, with 407 living with foster carers.

Some 240 looked after children are currently not placed with council approved or independent foster families. Some live with friends and family carers, while others may live in children’s homes or other residential settings.

A looked after child is any child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours.

Diane Haimeed has been fostering with Sheffield City Council for 12 years and, in that time, has fostered 45 children. She said: "Foster carers aren’t superheroes. We’re just ordinary people who want to help. 

"Most children just want to feel supported, loved, and part of a family. There’s no magic formula for that, it’s simply about caring enough to help guide them through their childhood in the best way you can."

Sheffield Council is launching a film on Tuesday, September 26 to encourage more local people to come forward and sign up to be foster carers. 

Called 'Any Of Us', it aims to spread the message that anyone can foster a child if they have the capacity to care and a spare bedroom.

The film, which has been produced by a partnership of councils and children’s trusts, follows three people who are considering becoming foster carers.

Councillor Dawn Dale, chair of the council’s Education, Children and Families Policy Committee, said: "It is vital that local authorities and children’s services across the country collaborate on projects like this. It means we can shout loudly together about the need for more people to step forward and offer a home to our most vulnerable children and young people."

Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of the Fostering Network, said: "There’s currently a shortage of 6,000 fostering households in England, so films like this have a vital role to play."

Diane added: "For anyone thinking about fostering, I would say just do it. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done."

To find out more, contact Sheffield’s fostering team on 0114 273 5075 or [email protected].