Foster carers in Warwickshire were invited to a fun filled event last weekend to celebrate families looking after children and young people in care.
Organised by Warwickshire County Council, the event at Heart of England, Coventry, on 8 July was attended by foster carers, birth children, children looked after and anyone who has contributed to the fostering role. People of all ages had a great day taking part in a wide range of activities including pedalos, archery, Velcro Olympics, crazy golf and much more.
The event offered a chance to celebrate all of the hard work that foster carers and their families have done over the past year to support the looked after children of Warwickshire. Families members came together and met up with others to develop networks of peer support for each other.
Councillor Sue Markham, Warwickshire County Council portfolio holder for Children and Families, said:
“Focused on young people, the event was a chance for our fostering community to come together, have some fun and make connections with peers. It was a fantastic opportunity to thank our foster carers for all they do to care for children and young people who can’t live with their own families. It was also a chance to recognise the support provided by the staff who work for the council’s fostering service.
“When you foster for Warwickshire, you become part of our community and events like these, along with coffee mornings, training events and peer support mean that you are never alone and always get the chance to meet people in a similar circumstance for advice and support.”
The work of the fostering service support the Child Friendly Warwickshire aim to make the county the best place for children and young people to grow up and learn. This initiative is helping to create opportunities and lasting positive change for children by ensuring their voices are heard, and that they are safe, happy, healthy and equipped with the skills to lead the best lives they can. Local organisations have signed up to be a Child Friendly Warwickshire friend and a selection of friends kindly donated prizes for the fostering fun-day raffle, including:
- Handles Property: £250 of gift cards
- Service Care Solutions: £250 of gift cards
- Rhyme Time: Voucher for 4 weeks of baby, toddler or pre-school classes
- GOGO Holiday Camp voucher for a full day of activities for a young person
- WCAVA: A selection of new toys and crafts
Businesses, organisations or charities can get involved and join the Child Friendly Warwickshire network of friends, find out more at www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/our-friends or email childfriendly@warwickshire.gov.uk.
There are many different ways to foster with Warwickshire, to find out more, visit warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering, call 0800 408 1556 or email fosteringenquiries@warwickshire.gov.uk
Following on Facebook @WarwickshireFostering or Instagram @warwickshirefostering.