THIS Sunday, as I am sure you all know, is Father’s Day, a day where we celebrate and give thanks to fathers for all they do.

However, for many young people across the Tees Valley, Father’s Day can be a harsh reminder that they are not part of a traditional family unit, whether through bereavement, family separation or because they are part of a foster family.

At Five Rivers Child Care we work tirelessly to provide vulnerable young people with a safe place to call home, placing them with foster families that will nurture and care for them. We’d like to call on your readers this Father’s Day to think about those who take on non-traditional parenting roles, those who foster, adopt, and care for children and young people.

We’d like to encourage people to think about those that are in need of a loving home and consider foster care as a potential vocation. There are so many young people looking for someone to call family and we hope that readers will consider the positive impact they can have on a child’s life.

We’d welcome anyone interested in exploring fostering as a career opportunity to get in touch with any questions, on 0345 266 0272.

Hopefully this gives you something to think about this Father’s Day.

Martin Leitch, Head of Fostering Operations, Five Rivers Child Care Ltd, Thornaby