Campaigns blog - August 2018
Here's the latest news from our campaigns team, including how you can support our Tick the Box campaign and an update on the record-breaking response to our State of the Nation survey.
Over the last few weeks, with schools on holiday and parliaments in recess, the campaigns team has been taking stock, looking at issues affecting foster carers and planning our work. Taking time to reflect on our campaigning priorities has been particularly important this year, as thousands of foster carers have been telling us exactly what matters to them in our State of the Nation survey.
State of the Nation
We’re delighted that more foster carers than ever have taken our survey – over 3,400 so far! It’s hugely important for our campaigning work that we hear from as many foster carers as possible from across the UK, so we have a strong voice to make change happen. Therefore, we’re grateful to everyone who has already taken the time to tell us about their fostering. Our policy team will soon be analysing the results, which we’ll share in the new year.
Add your voice by 31 August...
Money business
Learning to manage your own money is a vital skill, and one that fostered young people must learn if they are to go on to lead independent lives. Foster carers tell us that there is not clarity about how to open a bank account for fostered children and that it can be very difficult. We want to work with banks and building societies to make the process of opening an account as simple as possible.
If you’ve tried to set up an account for a foster child we’d love to hear from you, whether it went smoothly or you faced challenges. And if you work in a bank and think you can help please get in touch. Email campaigns@fostering.net
Tick the Box
University applications open on 5 September and some young people in foster care will be getting ready to apply. Universities offer additional support for students who have been looked after, and many will consider this during the admissions process and may make an adjusted offer. But to access this support, young people need to tick the box on their UCAS form to say they are care experienced. Too few young people are doing this. We’re campaigning to make sure every care leaver applying to university knows to tick the box and get the support to which they’re entitled. We would like you to write to your local school or sixth form college to tell them about ticking the box.
Thanks for reading, for the latest information on our campaigns work, sign up to our mailing list.
Vicki and Izzy from the campaigns team
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