Foster Care Fortnight, the UK’s biggest foster carer recruitment campaign, gets underway on Monday 13 May and members of the Fostering for Wolverhampton team will be out and about offering advice and guidance to individuals and couples who are thinking of fostering.
Emma Bennett, Director of Children’s Services at City of Wolverhampton Council 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, but we have more youngsters 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.”
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 six 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.
The Fostering for Wolverhampton team will be at various locations in and around the city over the next 2 weeks (13 to 26 May) 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 entails.
The drop-in sessions are as follows:
- Monday 13 May : Queen Square, The Fostering Bus – 10am to 3pm
- Tuesday 14 May : WV Active, Aldersley – 5pm to 8pm
- Wednesday 15 May : Fostering pop-up shop, 1st floor next to H Samuel, Mander Centre - 10am to 3pm
- Thursday 16 May : Art Gallery Café , Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton – 11.00am to 3pm
- Thursday 16 May : Molineux Stadium, Billy Wright Stand, Suite 14 – 6.30pm to 8pm
- Friday 17 May : Costa Coffee, Debenhams, Mander Centre – 10am to 3pm
- Saturday 18 May : Fostering pop-up shop, 1st floor next to H Samuel, Mander Centre 1pm to 3pm
- Sunday 19 May : Bantock Park Vintage Fair, Fostering Bus – 11am to 3pm
- Monday 20 May : Fostering pop-up shop, 1st floor next to H Samuel, Mander Centre 10am to 3pm
- Tuesday 21 May : Waitrose, Penn Road, Wolverhampton – 10am to 3pm
- Tuesday 21 May : Molineux Stadium, Billy Wright Stand, Suite 14 – 6.30pm to 8pm
- Wednesday 22 May : New Cross Hospital, Emergency Department Foyer – 10.00am to 2pm
- Thursday 23 May : Fostering pop-up shop, 1st floor next to H Samuel, Mander Centre 10am to 3pm
- Friday 24 May : Costa Coffee, Debenhams, Mander Centre – 10am to 3pm
Foster carers can be single, married or in a relationship and help and support is available 24 hours a day. Placements can be anything from a few days to a number of years, and they receive a regular, tax exempt allowance to cover the cost of bringing up the child.
The council's foster carers receive six months' support from experienced foster carers who will guide them through the system, while supervising social workers provide intensive support for the first 6 weeks of a placement and then every month thereafter.
For more details, people are invited to attend one of the drop-in sessions listed above. Alternatively, please visit Fostering events or call 01902 551133.
