The Government have announced their intention to resettle child refugees from Europe.
This is in addition to the 3,000 vulnerable children and family members to be resettled direct from the Middle East and North Africa, and the 20,000 people being resettled directly from Syrian refugee communities.
Those at risk of trafficking or exploitation will be prioritised for resettlement, while existing family reunion routes will be accelerated. This will be separate to any EU-administered resettlement schemes. To avoid incentivising more human trafficking, this resettlement will be restricted to children registered before the EU migration agreement with Turkey came into force on March 20th.
The Government will work with local authorities across the UK to determine how many children will be resettled from Europe and to utilise existing schemes for resettling unaccompanied asylum seekers, including the new national transfer scheme.
Whether they are Syrian or British, there are many children in need of love and care from British families. Today, in Buckinghamshire alone, there are over 400 children in care and in need of a loving foster family.
That need will now increase.
With this in mind, Buckinghamshire County Council has urged people to give a loving home to children in need. As part of the Fostering Fortnight, which takes place between 16th and 29th May, Buckinghamshire will focus on ‘Wishes’. This project will see a number of Wishing Trees in libraries and town centres across the county, with people being asked to write their own wish on a tag and to place it on a tree.
Councillor Hazell, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, explained the idea behind the Wishing Trees to promote fostering:
Everyone has a wish they would love to come true. Whether it’s something extravagant like winning the Lottery or something very small and personal, we’d like to hear them.
There are more than 400 children and young people in Buckinghamshire in need of a foster home. We need more people to come forward to open up their homes and lives to these children to help grant them their greatest wish.
We have an amazing team of foster carers already but we always need more. Fostering can be such a rewarding experience. Yes, it can be difficult at times but we offer full training and all the ongoing support you need. So, if it’s something you’ve ever thought about or are thinking about, please get in touch to find out more.
There will also be for sessions for those interested in hearing more about fostering:
- Buckingham Day Centre, June 9th 2016, 7 to 9pm
- The Hub, High Wycombe, June 16th 2016, 7 to 9pm
- Aylesbury Day Centre, June 22nd 2016 7 to 9pm
For more information on fostering and to book a place on a session, contact 0800 160 1900 or visit www.buckscc.gov.uk/fostering.
