Find out more about fostering with Telford & Wrekin Council
A series of free events will be held during May to help people to discover more about a rewarding career in fostering.
The events have been organised by Telford & Wrekin Council’s fostering team to mark this year’s national Foster Care Fortnight.
At the events, anyone who has ever thought about opening up their home and fostering a child, can find out all they need to know about starting their journey to becoming a foster carer.
The first event, a walk and talk session around the Wrekin takes place on Monday 11 May from 6 to 8pm. This event is a great opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors but also meet with other people who are already fostering.
On Wednesday May 13 there will be a marketplace event at Meeting Point House from 4 to 7pm. This event is open everyone, with a chance to explore local support, meet carers and professionals, learn about fostering and related options, and connect with the community.
Short, friendly online sessions will take place on Thursday 14 May and Tuesday 19 May, both from 1 to 2pm. At these sessions, potential foster carers can learn what fostering involves, the support available, and the different ways they can help.
An in-person information event will also be held at Ketley Community Centre on Tuesday 19 May from 5.30 to 7pm along with a drop-in event at Costa Coffee at Wrekin Retail Park on Friday 22 May from 10am to noon.
A community walk and talk session will take place on Saturday 16 May from 10 am to noon, meeting at Telford Town Park Visitor Centre. This event is open to foster carers and anyone curious about fostering, it’s a chance to meet others, share experiences, ask questions, and enjoy fresh air.
Fostering with the Council offers many benefits including competitive rates of pay, access to full training and resources and ongoing support from a dedicated fostering team.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, said:
“Foster Care Fortnight is our opportunity to shine a light on the amazing role foster carers play in our communities. To each and every foster carer, I thank you for the incredible work you do, for your unwavering dedication, compassion and love. We are incredibly thankful for everything our foster carers do to provide local children with secure, loving homes where they can thrive and reach their full potential.
“Foster Care Fortnight also gives us an opportunity to breakdown some of the common myths around fostering, such as people can’t foster if they are single, are already working, don’t own their own home, have children of their own, are in their 20s or retired.
“In fact, fostering is open to everyone in these circumstances and can be incredibly flexible with lots of different opportunities available, including part time and respite. Even if you can only foster for a few days a month, we encourage you to get in touch with our team, as part-time fostering opportunities are also available in addition to full-time ones.
“Foster caring is a challenging and rewarding career, there isn’t another like it. If anyone feels they have the compassion and dedication to foster, please come along to one of the events organised throughout foster care fortnight and discover all of the support available to get started.”
Places for some events need to be booked in advance. More information can be found online.