Drivers out and about on Hampshire's 5,000 miles of road will now see specially branded Hampshire Highways vehicles featuring the Fostering Hampshire Children logo, in a bid to raise awareness of fostering and how to become a foster carer.
Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “We are always looking for new ways to promote fostering and encourage more people, who want to make a real difference to the lives of some of our most vulnerable children and young people, to become foster carers. This new initiative, taking the message on the road - will help to raise awareness of our Fostering Hampshire Children service and spread the word even further about the importance of fostering. I would urge any Hampshire residents interested in fostering to get in touch with our team and find out more. It really is a hugely rewarding role which literally transforms young lives.”
Milestone Infrastructure, Hampshire Highways’ long-term maintenance partner and a part of M Group Services, has funded the cost of the new vehicle livery as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting social initiatives in the community.
Councillor Nick Adams-King, Executive Member for Highways Operations, commented: “It is great to see County Council services and our partner, Milestone, joining up in this way for the benefit of Hampshire’s vulnerable children and young people. As an adoptive parent myself, I know how vital the fantastic work of foster carers is to our vulnerable children and young people. My thanks go to Milestone for continuing to deliver added value through their demonstrable commitment to important social causes.”
Simon Watson, Business Director for Milestone Infrastructure, said: “Milestone Infrastructure, working as Hampshire Highways, is proud of the services we provide for the communities across Hampshire. We are delighted to be able to promote the Fostering Hampshire Children campaign, adding the livery to our fleet of vehicles that are visible across the county every day. Our hope is that by doing this, we encourage more people to get involved as carers and change children’s lives for the better.”
Recruiting foster carers is an important focus for the Fostering Hampshire Children team, which is dedicated to finding caring, compassionate and nurturing people to become skilled and confident foster carers. Hampshire County Council has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for the quality of step-by-step support provided to its community of over 450 fostering households. This includes extensive training, competitive allowances, buddies and support groups, as well as ongoing support from a dedicated social worker.
Hampshire residents who would like to find out more about fostering with the County Council should visit hants.gov.uk/fostering where they will find a wealth of resources, information and details of online events designed to answer their queries.