Monmouthshire County Council leader Cllr Peter Fox has penned his latest Argus column:

WE'RE well into January, but it’s not too late for a new start.

If you’re thinking about making a difference in 2019, Monmouthshire’s foster care team is looking for loving supportive people to offer a home for our children and young persons.

Becoming a foster parent can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do!

Fostering is just one of the very many services the council provides and we aim to ensure that the result is a positive one.

Foster parents receive great satisfaction from seeing children develop and keeping them safe, as well as witnessing them achieving and reaching their ambitions.

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Many carers will keep in touch and make a difference to children’s lives, even when they reach adulthood.

Fostered children will benefit from a steady and secure environment, academic stability and the chance to experience family life.

However, attachments may still be strong between children and birth parents, so foster parents offer support and the opportunity to maintain this connection under supervision.

We’re keen to recruit more foster parents within the county, and to encourage people to come forward we’ve organised a number of drop-in events.

These enable those considering fostering to chat about the options available.

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We’ve had a very good response so far and we’re running the final sessions tomorrow - Thursday, January 24 - at the St Pierre Marriot Hotel near Chepstow from 10am to midday, and later, from 6pm to 8pm. Please feel welcome to come along and talk to us.

Our foster parents receive frequent compliments on their standard of care and we acknowledged their unstinting role with a special event at Caldicot Castle last summer.

Carers really enjoyed the occasion and felt appreciated for their participation as an integral part of the council’s provision.

Meanwhile, our staff are very much valued for their professionalism and commitment to the foster carers.

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If you’ve ever thought about fostering, but have never made the step, please get in touch – we welcome interest from kind people who could offer a child or young person a home - you won’t regret it.

We offer excellent training and support and it really is so rewarding.

This could be the year that you transform a child’s or young person’s life.

- Text the word “Foster” to 84222 or visit monmouthshire.gov.uk/fostering for further information.