Preston charity Caritas Care is getting ready to transform lives as part of Foster Care Fortnight, which runs from May 8-21 – when its team will be out and about spreading the word about fostering.

The charity’s headquarters is based in Tulketh Road, Preston, where a range of services and projects are run which are dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of all children, families and communities.

Rebecca Hughes, Foster Care Team Manager, says: “We understand that anyone who’s thinking about fostering will have lots of questions and if they’re not sure or just don’t understand what it’s all about then we can help.

“If you’ve ever thought about fostering and just want to know more please don’t hesitate to ring. No question is too silly, we just need to encourage people to make that first phone call. We can take it from there,” Rebecca said.

She also wants to emphasise that both the foster carers and the foster children will be supported by Caritas Care throughout the process. So if the foster child feels unsettled at home or school, Caritas Care will be there to offer support and advice to the foster carers and the school about how best to deal with the situation.

“Support from Caritas Care comes in lots of shapes and sizes from lots of different people. We’re there every step of the way,” Rebecca added.

Caritas Care has made an animation video to explain more about how fostering works and what happens when two siblings come to stay with their new foster family.

You can watch it here: http://caritascare-ifoster.org.uk

Caritas Care welcomes foster carers from all walks of life. So don’t be put off if you don’t think you’re the right age, ethnicity, or relationship status. Each foster carer is unique, as is every child who needs a foster family. Caritas Care is looking for foster carers who want to make a positive difference for a child (or children) who need a caring home.

Many more foster carers from Lancashire and the North West are needed to care for children of all ages – from babies to teenagers – who can’t live with their birth families for many different reasons. Those reasons can involve illness, family breakdown or concerns about a child’s safety and wellbeing.

Whether you look after them for just a short time, for a big part of their childhood or even permanently, Caritas Care will give you all the support and advice you need to make it a success for you and the children.

Caritas Care also has offices in Carlisle, Manchester, Salford and Warrington. Their diverse range of services support people through adoption and fostering, as well as disability support services, homelessness facilities and ex offender programmes.

Anyone who would like a chat about fostering can call in to St George’s Shopping Centre in Preston where Caritas Care will have a stall running for a week from May 8.

If you can’t make it to Preston during that week, but would like information about fostering with Caritas Care call free phone 0800 652 6955, email info@caritascare.org.uk, or visit the website: www.caritascare-ifoster.org.uk