Fostering friendly launch
Oxfordshire County Council in collaboration with the Rees Centre launched its Fostering Friendly Policy on Thursday 19th November at the Department of Education.
The policy commits employers to making it as easy as possible for their employees to foster children and young people. Corporate Parenting Manager Matthew Edwards reported that seven companies had adopted the policy which would encourage more people locally to become foster carers enabling more children in care to stay in Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire County Council readily participates in research on fostering undertaken by The Rees Centre and uses findings from the research to inform its policies and practice. Last year Oxfordshire County Council seconded a member of staff from the Virtual School (who support children in care’s education) to work with the Rees Centre to improve the use of research findings in the education sector and assist in ensuring the research is as relevant as possible.