Could you foster a child in Walsall?
Date Published : 13 May 2008
Walsall Council’s Fostering and Adoption Services will be calling on local people during Foster Care Fortnight (12 May 2008 to 25 May 2008) to think about whether they could foster.
Foster Care Fortnight, co-ordinated by national charity the Fostering Network, is an annual campaign to raise awareness of fostering and to recruit more foster carers.
Walsall Council is looking for people who are good listeners, resilient, flexible, optimistic and great role models to think about fostering.
Walsall is urgently requiring foster carers to care for children of different ages, particularly older children and teenagers, along with sibling groups from a variety of backgrounds. Foster carers can provide temporary and permanent placements as well as short term breaks for disabled children.
During the fortnight Walsall Fostering and Adoption and Walsall Foster Carer Association will be holding events around Walsall to help people find out more about fostering.
Fostering fortnight in Walsall launched on Monday 12 May 2008 at a coffee afternoon at the Fostering and Adoption First Stop Shop in Freer Street Walsall.
Information and Recruitment fun days will also be held on: -
- Tuesday 13 May 2008 – Information Display at St Paul’s The Crossing from 10am to 1pm
- Wednesday 14 May 2008 – Recruitment Fun Day at The Bridge, Walsall Town Centre, information display, fun activities and entertainment from pupils from Willenhall Sports and Community College from 10am to 3pm
- Thursday 22 May 2008 – Information evening at the Fostering and Adoption First Stop Shop in Freer Street from 5-8pm.
- Friday 23 May 2008 – Recruitment Fun Day at The Bridge, Walsall Town Centre, information display, fun activities and entertainment from The Glorishears of Brummagem Morris Dancers from 10am to 3pm
Councillor Zahid Ali, portfolio holder for childrens services at Walsall Council, said: “Becoming a foster carer is such an important role and we are looking for people in Walsall who can look after children at a very vulnerable time in their lives.
“These recruitment and information days are being held in walsall to provide more details for people who are interested and also for people to take part in some fun activities and entertainment at the same time. We would urge anyone interested in becoming a foster carer to go along to one of the planned event.” He added.
Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer can pop along to the above events and call into the Fostering and Adoption First Stop Shop in Freer Street, Walsall town centre or call free on 0800 923 3706.
At the events there will be an opportunity for the public to learn more about fostering by talking to members of the fostering team and foster carers. They can also find out more information by calling into the Fostering and Adoption First Stop Shop in Freer Street, calling free on 0800 923 3706 or logging on to www.walsall.gov.uk/fostercare.
Foster carers are given an allowance to cover the cost of caring for a child and receive training and ongoing support from our fostering team.