Place to Call Home is a partnership between councils across the East Midlands, seeking to recruit around 40 foster carers and supported lodgings providers across the region.

The digital launch will take place at 10am on Thursday and feature details of the new regional campaign, a chance to hear from foster carer, Pat, and the young Vietnamese girl she’s currently fostering, and an opportunity to take part in a question and answer session.

At the end of March 2019, there were 310 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the care of local authorities in the East Midlands. Foster carers support these young people day-to-day, providing safety, security and a family environment. The East Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership identified the shared need across all nine local authorities with Children’s Services in the region to recruit more foster carers and supported lodgings providers, and equip them with the skills and confidence to care for unaccompanied refugees. East Midlands Councils prepared a successful bid to the government’s Controlling Migration Fund to finance the collaboration, and Leicestershire County Council agreed to take on the responsibility of lead authority for delivery of the project on behalf of the region.

The launch event will take place on the project’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/homeeastmidlands and the video will remain available to view.

For more information about fostering young refugees, and to register your interest in the launch event, email info@placetocallhome.org.uk.