The Fostering for Wolverhampton autumn recruitment campaign gets underway on Monday (23 September), launching in Queen Square at 10am, and over the coming days members of the Fostering for Wolverhampton Team will be on hand to offer advice and guidance to individuals and couples who are thinking of fostering.
There’s also a new fostering information shop in the Mander Centre, on the first floor near to Debenhams, which will be open on selected dates during September and October – for full details, please visit Fostering for Wolverhampton.
Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are fortunate in Wolverhampton to have so many dedicated foster carers who combine a desire to help children with a commitment to providing the best possible care.
“Last year we recruited more foster carers than we ever have done, but we still have more children who are looking for a permanent foster home.
“Fostering can truly be a life changing experience, both for foster carers and the young person they care for. We'd love to hear from people who have both a spare room and of course love in their heart to help local children by fostering.”
The Fostering for Wolverhampton team will be at various locations in and around the city next week, and are looking forward to meeting people who are interested in becoming foster carers and want to find out how to go about it, or just want a little more information about what being a foster carer is really like.
The drop in sessions are as follows:
- Monday 23 September – Queen Square, 10am to 3pm
- Tuesday 24 September – Fostering Information Shop, Mander Centre, 10am to 3pm
- Tuesday 24 September – Molineux Stadium 6pm to 8pm
- Wednesday 25 September - Fostering Information Shop, Mander Centre, 10am to 3pm
- Thursday 26 September – WV Active, Aldersley Stadium, 4pm to 7pm
- Friday 27 September – Waitrose, Penn Road 10am to 3pm
- Saturday 28 September – Fostering Information Shop, Mander Centre, 2pm to 5pm
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 then every month thereafter, while foster carers can get help through a peer support network.
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.
For more information, please visit Fostering for Wolverhampton or call 01902 551133.
