Foster Care Fortnight 2017, the UK's biggest foster carer recruitment campaign, gets underway on Monday (8 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, Service Director for Children and Young People at City of Wolverhampton Council said: "We are fortunate that here in the City of Wolverhampton we already have more than 200 people who are fostering local children, but we are looking to recruit at least 30 more carers this year.
"The Fostering for Wolverhampton team will be at various locations in and around the city over the next two weeks 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 8 May, 10am to 3pm - Queen Square, Wolverhampton
Monday 8 May, 4pm to 7pm - WV Active, Bilston Bert Williams
Tuesday 9 May, 10am to 1pm - Chapel Court Job Centre, Queen Street
Tuesday 9 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Aldi, Birmingham Road
Tuesday 9 May, 6.30pm to 8pm - Molineux Stadium, Suite 20
Wednesday 10 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Sainsbury's, Wolverhampton
Wednesday 10 May, 11.30am to 2.30pm - Bantock Park
Thursday 11 May, 9.30am to 3pm - ASDA, Wolverhampton
Thursday 11 May, 5pm to 8pm - WV Active Aldersley
Friday 12 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Waitrose, Penn Road
Friday 12 May, 11am to 2.30pm - Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Saturday 13 May, 8.30am to 1pm - Bentley Bridge Retail Park, near Aldi
Monday 15 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Aldi, Goldthorn Hill
Tuesday 16 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Sainsbury's, Perton
Tuesday 16 May, 2pm to 6.30pm - Wolverhampton Central Library
Wednesday 17 May, 9.30am to 3pm - St John's Retail Park
Thursday 18 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Sainsbury's, Wolverhampton
Thursday 18 May, 6.30pm to 8pm - Molineux Stadium, Suite 20
Friday 19 May, 9.30am to 3pm - Bentley Bridge Retail Park, near Boots
Saturday 20 May, 10am to 3pm - Queen Square, Wolverhampton
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 6 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.
Emma added: "It's true that fostering involves taking on a tremendous responsibility and will change the carer's life, but our foster families say it is the best thing they have ever done."
Angela Doughty is a foster carer and said: "I made a phone call and I've never looked back. It was the best decision I've ever made.
"All I can say to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer is 'make the phone call' because it was a great change in my life that also suited my own children.
"It is great to give these other children a chance after they've experienced difficult starts in life."
For more details, people are invited to attend one of the drop in sessions listed above. Alternatively, please visit Type=links;Linkid=7567;Title=Fostering;Target=_blank;, call 01902 551133, or search Fostering for Wolves on Facebook.
- released: Friday 5 May, 2017