More new foster parents are urgently needed, says Pleegzorg Nederland (Foster Care Netherlands) during a call. In Brabant, there is a shortage of 385 new foster families every year, and nationwide the number is 3,500.
Currently, there are 1,964 foster families in Brabant. The number of new foster parents has been declining for years. As a result, it is becoming more and more difficult to make a good match between foster children and foster families, says Pleegzorg Nederland.
The ‘Open je wereld’ (‘Open Your World’) campaign was launched on 30 October during this week’s Foster Care Week. With this campaign, Pleegzorg Nederland wants to show how foster parents and foster children enriched each other’s lives.
During the week, family outings are organised for foster families. There are also networking meetings for foster families and information meetings for potential foster families. A national foster grandparent day will be held on 6 November.
Part-time foster parent
Esther Overweter, a member of the foster care board at Jeugdzorg Nederland (the Dutch Youth Services), says: “We have noticed that many people do not know that there are different ways to be a foster parent. As a result, many of them think, in advance, that foster care is not for them. With the campaign, we want to show that, for example, you can also become a part-time foster parent. How nice it would be to open up your world to those children who could really need it.”
Source: www.omroepbrabant.nl
Translator: Shufei
Editor: Melinda Walraven
