Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been awarded Foster Friendly status - the Fostering Network's programme to encourage employers to support fostering, and in particular, foster carers.

To be recognised as a Fostering Friendly employer we've had to demonstrate our support for employees, making the workplace friendlier for foster carers to benefit the children in their care and also making it easier for people to consider fostering. In 2020 we launched a new fostering friendly policy for all our employees which sets out a number of benefits for any staff member who decides to come forward to become a foster carer including flexible working arrangements and paid time off for those going through the foster carer approval process.

The Fostering Network is the UK's leading fostering charity and class themselves as the essential network for fostering, bringing together everyone who is involved in the lives of fostered children. They champion fostering and seek to create vital change so that foster care is the very best it can be. As part of that they have the Fostering Friendly programme which has been developed to encourage employers to support fostering, and in particular, foster carers.

We are urging organisations and businesses across the city to become Fostering Friendly as we would like the achievement of being the first Fostering Friendly city in the UK. Learn how you can become a Fostering Friendly employer here.

Local employers currently signed up include:

• Stoke-on-Trent City Council
• Unitas
• bet365
• Stoke City Football Club
• Port Vale Football Club
• Staffordshire Police
• Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce
• Staffordshire Unversity
• Synectics Solutions
• Aspire Housing
• The Davies Group