Launch of new adoption and fostering: Shaping families campaign

Yesterday evening saw the launch of Gibraltar's second Adoption and Fostering Awareness Week which was extremely well attended at the O'Callaghan Eliott Hotel. Minister for Social Services Samantha Sacramento welcomed the development of the fostering and adoption service and its increasing success since the ‘Be a Hero’ awareness campaign last October.
Ms Sacramento said the Care Agency had a very dedicated team of professionals and “the effort of social workers in ensuring the realisation of this new department” had been outstanding.
The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Shaping Families’, with a special emphasis on foster care.
“Fostering,” added Ms Sacramento is to provide someone else’s child with a safe and stable family environment for a period of time during which they are unable to live with their own parents, whether because of family crisis, parents finding it difficult to cope or due to abuse, neglect or domestic violence.”
The launch and workshop yesterday heard how in the last year there had been great support from foster carers in helping to develop the service currently provided.
Training for foster carers and those adopting will continue into the future and further develop. Already there exists a fostering network group established last year.
The launch also heard how the
British Adoption of Fostering Association will be in Gibraltar in November for a series talks and workshops.
The event stressed that foster placements could be short or may become long term, and some may even lead to adoption: it all depends on the needs of the individual child.