 Foster Portsmouth celebrates the diversity of our dedicated team of foster carers.
We'll be marking LGBT+ History Month throughout February and LGBT+ Adoption & Fostering Week from 7 March by recognising the efforts of our foster carers from the LGBT+ community, and their contribution to the care of vulnerable children and young people in the Portsmouth area.
We're taking the opportunity this year to raise awareness of the national shortage of foster carers, and to tackle any remaining myths that may prevent those from the LGBT+ community from exploring fostering as a route to building their family life.
Our foster families come in all forms, and we’re proud to work with many individuals and couples from the LGBT+ community. Anyone aged 18+ with a spare bedroom could foster with Foster Portsmouth regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, faith, ethnicity, marital or work status, or whether they rent or own their own home.
 Due to instability in their home countries, the number of unaccompanied refugee children and young people seeking a safe and secure home in the Portsmouth area continues to rise.
These children and young people, often fleeing war, disaster and poverty, have typically travelled thousands of miles, have been separated from their families, and often speak little or no English.
Could you help young people like 17-year-old Samir* who would like to move from his current placement in London to Portsmouth to reunite with friends made from the group with whom he travelled from Sudan to the UK? Samir, who enjoys football and seeing friends, needs support to progress his education and attend the local mosque.
Caring for these children and young people arriving unaccompanied in the UK is highly rewarding; supporting their ambitions to learn English, engage in education and discover their carer’s own culture and way of life.
We need to recruit foster carers who can help us meet the needs of these vulnerable young people, often in the form of an emergency short-term placement or Supported Lodgings. Could you provide a safe home for a young person like Samir?
*photograph and name changed to protect privacy
 A group of young people took part in Portsmouth Aspirations Week on Wednesday 19 January as they shadowed a social worker for the day. Each young person experienced what the role entails and the responsibilities of it.
As part of the activity, Maria, Ousman and Wayne shared their experience on social media in the form of testimonials from the day. They visited a housing provider in the city as well as a meet and greet with Councillor Suzy Horton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education.
Maria Black, who took part in the experience said: "After completing a social care course at HSDC, I knew the profession was something that interested me. I've worked as a carer and in a hospital. This gave me the experience I needed to enrol on a social work degree at the University of Portsmouth. I've worked hard to get where I am and look forward to graduating in the future. Aspirations Week gave me real world experience in different areas of social work, enabling me to understand the rewards and challenges of the job."
More information about Maria, Ousman and Wayne's experience can be found on the Stronger Futures website.
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