Children in Hertfordshire are using textile art to share their foster care experiences, kicking off a community quilt project as part of Hertfordshire County Council's new campaign to recruit more foster carers.

The campaign, called HELP, aims to amplify the voices of children and young people in foster care, inspiring more people in Hertfordshire to consider this rewarding role. The HELP campaign also seeks to spread the word about the positive impact foster caring can have on the lives of children who can't live with their birth parents.

Hertfordshire County Council has teamed up with local textile artist Connie Deans-Harding, from Maker & Mind, as part of the HELP campaign. Connie is providing therapeutic art experiences for children in the council's care, helping them express their feelings about foster care through art.

Connie shared her thoughts on the children's artwork: "I was amazed by how focused the children were during our workshops. Their dedication to their creations and their words is truly a gift for the campaign. They made intuitive design choices and left feeling happy and proud of their work."

She added, "This project is a fantastic opportunity to showcase textiles and craft as an art installation, with the community quilt. It also involves the children in making and mindfulness. Everyone has creativity in them, and making things can have a positive effect on the mind and body."

Connie is gathering these artistic expressions to create the centerpiece of a community quilt. Through a series of community events, the public can add to the quilt, reflecting on the support needed for children in foster care and how they might help.

Speaking about the collaboration with the council, Connie said, "Fostering is incredibly important for our society. The children in care in Hertfordshire deserve to be loved, appreciated, and supported. Getting involved in a campaign to recruit more foster carers is crucial."

The HELP campaign will roll out across the county, starting in the west of Hertfordshire. The launch event will take place during Foster Care Fortnight (12-25 May) in St Albans marketplace on Friday, 16 May. At the event, and subsequent community engagement events, locals can get involved with contributing to the quilt whilst talking to existing foster carers and council professionals to learn more about becoming a foster carer and the support available.

There are many ways to get involved in the HELP campaign, from leafleting in your neighbourhood to hosting talks by foster carers in community groups. People are being asked to use their local networks to share information about the rewards of foster caring with people who might not traditionally consider it.

In Hertfordshire, around 1,000 children are in the local authority's care, but there are only about 400 fostering households. With a national decline in new foster carers, the council urgently needs more foster carers to provide loving and stable homes for children in Hertfordshire.

One young person, Jane*, shared her story: "Moving into residential care in 2020 was very traumatic. I felt unsettled and had no one to call family. Now, after seven months in foster care, my life has completely changed. I still have down days, but I'm much happier. I go to school and have an education. Even though my foster family isn't related by blood, I see them as my family."

Jane added, "A year ago, I wouldn't have believed I'd be this happy and successful. We need more foster carers for children who can't live with their families because every child deserves a family home."

If you're interested in becoming a foster carer, you'll receive training, support, and generous pay and allowances. To find out more, call the Hertfordshire fostering recruitment team for a no-obligation chat at 0800 917 0925, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fosterHELP, or email [email protected]