It's the second week of Foster Care Fortnight and Cheshire East Council is stepping up its celebration of the annual event and reminding people of the ongoing need to recruit foster carers.

The council would like to say a special thank you to the 124 foster carers it has. The dedication of these extraordinary people is something that is truly inspiring, especially in this time of national crisis. Cheshire East currently has 537 cared for children and we want as many of these children as possible to have the opportunity to live in loving homes.

As a way of saying thank you to our foster carers, the council has produced a film, which thanks each and every one of them. The film also features the talents of 13-year-old violinist Egan Stonier, who attends Sandbach School, playing a version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

The theme of this year's Foster Care Fortnight campaign is 'This is Fostering' and the main focus is to highlight the real-life achievements of those involved in foster care. As part of Cheshire East's contribution to that cause, using #FCF20, the council has been posting a personal story from our foster carers every day on social media over the fortnight to celebrate the exceptional work they do.

Councillor Kathryn Flavell, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for children and families, said: "We are working really hard this year to get the message out there that the need to find loving homes for children is still great. Naturally, Foster Care Fortnight is the perfect time to be sending that message.

"We're running a radio advertising campaign with one of our local commercial stations and I really love reading the comments that our foster carers have been sharing through our social media campaign – it's definitely having a positive impact."

"However, it is very important that we also stop to take a moment and thank our amazing existing foster carers for their incredible dedication to the profession, and of course to the wonderful children they are supporting. The council is so lucky to be working with you. Thank you."

The process of becoming a foster carer is very thorough, so anyone interested in this very rewarding career should definitely talk to us today.

If you would like to know more about becoming a foster carer in Cheshire East, then please contact us by email at [email protected] or by calling 01925 444100. You can also visit the council website to get information about fostering.

Applications are welcome from anyone, providing that they have a loving, safe place for our children to live.

Foster Care Fortnight is run by an organisation called The Fostering Network. To understand more about the work they do and to donate to the cause, please visit their website.