Following a recent review into foster care in the UK, Meriden MP, Dame Caroline Spelman, took part in a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of fostering and faith. During the debate, the MP told Parliament that society ‘must go out of its way to reach minority ethic potential foster-care applicants’ and called on MPs to help bust many ‘myths’ that are preventing children from being
fostered.
Prior to this, Dame Caroline had chaired a round table meeting of charities and other practitioners involved in all aspects of fostering, such as local authorities. The focus of the round table was the
question of faith and fostering - in particular the myths that exists that people of one faith are debarred from providing foster care to a child from another faith background.
Speaking in the debate, Dame Caroline said: “A myth often abounds that people of faith are debarred from the opportunity to provide foster care. In reality, however, people often put themselves forward to be foster-carers precisely because of their faith and because their beliefs prompt them to open their home to those in need”.
She added: “We must therefore go out of our way to reach some minority ethnic potential foster care applicants, because in many cases they are being put off by thinking they will be refused on the grounds of their faith”.
“That myth really needs to be dispelled. We are closing our minds to the opportunity presented by people of faith who are prompted to offer help in such a way”
Read the debate in full, here