Mentera is proud to announce that they are now a Fostering Friendly employer, promoting their commitment to supporting foster carers and the children they care for and improving support for their own employees at the same time. 

Alaistair Cope, Head of Foster Wales; Dafydd Bowen, Director of People and Places, Mentera; Llŷr Roberts, CEO of Mentera.

Mentera has committed to supporting their employees, who also provide foster care, by offering additional paid leave for their fostering commitments. This will provide foster carers with greater flexibility to respond to any emergencies that may arise with fostering and to attend meetings, training and to settle a young person into their new home.

With over 5000 children currently in foster care in Wales, employers are being called upon to offer foster carers the flexibility to combine fostering with other work.

According to the National Fostering Network, nearly 40% of foster carers combine fostering with other work. Having a supportive employer can make a world of difference to fostering families, enabling them to balance employment with fostering children.

Support from their employer also helps those interested in fostering, to take that first step.

Llŷr Roberts, Chief Executive of Mentera said:

“As a company deeply rooted in Welsh communities, we're proud to support foster carers.
By becoming a Fostering Friendly employer, we're aligning with our core principle of making a difference. We're empowering our employees to make a positive impact both within our company and in the lives of children in need. This initiative supports our vision of a prosperous Wales, where businesses and communities work together to create a brighter future for all."

Alastair Cope, Head of Foster Wales, the National network of 22 Welsh local authority fostering teams added:

"Becoming a fostering friendly employer is something to be really proud of and we thank Mentera for their commitment to supporting foster care in Wales.
As the need for foster carers continues to grow, reaching out to local employers to be fostering friendly is one of many things we are doing to support our foster carers in Wales.
We know when children stay connected, stay local and have someone to support them for the long term, we see better results. So, if employers in Wales can support their employees to become foster carers, local authorities can help more children stay connected to their roots and ultimately support them towards a better future.”

Foster Wales has set out with the bold aim of recruiting over 800 new foster families by 2026, to provide welcoming homes for local children and young people.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, visit: fosterwales.gov.wales