The annual campaign is an ideal time not only to highlight the excellent work being done by the city's foster carers, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic, but also call for more people to consider fostering, with the Fostering for Wolverhampton team urging anyone who is interested to get in touch to find out more.
Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Foster care transforms the lives of children and young people as well as those of foster carers and their families. This has never been more important.
“Foster carers help children and young people flourish and fulfil their potential, as well as provide a vital service to our society.
“This is an opportunity to highlight their work and understand the impact the coronavirus emergency is having on their daily lives. They are by true definition our unsung heroes and we cannot thank them enough.”
People can watch how some of the city’s foster carers are getting on during lockdown by clicking below.
Foster carers can be sole carers, married or in a relationship – and they won't be on their own as help and support is available 24 hours a day. They will receive 6 months' “buddy support” from experienced foster carers who are there to befriend and guide them through the system.
Supervising social workers provide intensive support for the first 6 weeks of a placement and this support continues then every month. Extensive training is ongoing with regular face to face and online modules being part of every foster carers development plan. Foster carers also get help via a peer support network and a social events calendar provides regular opportunities for foster carers and families to come together.
Placements can be anything from a few days to a number of years, and carers receive a regular, tax exempt fee and allowance to cover the cost of bringing up the child.
The Fostering for Wolverhampton team is holding online virtual events and arranging online appointments and telephone calls to progress applications. For more information, people are invited to join its Facebook Live events on Thursday 14 May at 10am, Sunday 17 May at 2pm and Thursday 21 May at 7.30pm. For details, visit Facebook. Alternatively, please visit Fostering for Wolverhampton or call 01902 551133 for further information.
Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest foster carer recruitment campaign. It aims to raise awareness of the vital role foster carers play in society and calls out to people who may want to give a child a home.
