The Duchess of Cambridge will be attending The Fostering Excellence Awards on 17th November, Kensington Palace announce.
The awards are held to celebrate the achievements of young people, social workers, foster carers and others in the fostering community. Award winners will meet the Duchess of Cambridge at a special party and Her Royal Highness will be presenting the Fostering Achievement Award to three young people.
The Fostering Achievement Award is an award that honours exceptional achievements by youth aged 16 to 24 who have been fostered themselves.
Catherine was first introduced to the world of fostering earlier this year in January when she visited The Fostering Network – the UK’s leading fostering charity which is dedicated to improving the future of everyone who is fostered.
The Fostering Network is an organisation that helps bring those who work in the fostering world together to assist fostered children and young people to bring out their best in themselves. The charity also celebrates the outstanding work that foster carers do and brings to light the need for people to come forward and foster.
The 2015 Fostering Excellence Awards are a chance to celebrate achievements and successes withing foster care, also to share the inspirational tales of young people who have overcome the challenges faced during foster care. Not only those who receive awards are applauded but every single foster carer, local authority, social worker, civil servant, politician, fostering service, employer and organisation who dedicate their time to bettering foster care and who place children’s needs before all else are celebrated.
A staggering 64,000 children live with over 52,500 foster families across the UK while their situations at home are unsuitable. Most of these children have witnessed abuse and neglect, or witnessed domestic violence or substance misuse.
Foster carers are able to provide these children with the resources that they need, often giving them their first positive family life experience.
This year there is a need for a minimum of 8,370 new foster families within the UK. Homes that can offer a place for teenagers, groups of siblings and disabled youth are at an even greater need.
