Fostering in Walsall

With the festive season nearly upon us, we know many of you will be apprehensive about the potential costs involved for your family. 💰

If you are caring for the child of a family member or friend, why not check out our workshop 'Managing the cost of raising a child': https://loom.ly/wyhdT-g ✅

This workshop provides guidance on:
🔵 Understanding income and expenditure
🟢 How to create a budget plan
🟡 What to do if your budget doesn’t balance
🟣 How to talk to your children about money

When: Thurs 14 Dec 10.00am - 11.30am 📅

If you have a question about fostering, then 'Ask Liz'. Call our free phone on 0800 923 3706. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Do you want to join a support group but can't find one in your local area?

Check out our online support groups and meet other people who are raising the child of a family member or friend. 💻

Click here for more information:✅ https://loom.ly/Va5wwoc

Visit our information stand tomorrow. One of our foster carers will be answering your fostering questions at Manor Hospital, Moat Rd, Walsall WS2 9PS, outside the Maternity department (The Island) next to the Walsall Connected Section. We look forward to meeting you. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Are you raising the child of a family member or a friend?
Would you like some free information and training?
Kinship is here to help. 💛

Check out our upcoming, free workshops: ✨
Managing the cost of raising a child - Tues 21 Nov
Building resilience and wellbeing in your kinship family - Weds 22 Nov
Managing contact for kinship families: the emotional journey - Weds 22 Nov
Introduction to kinship care - Thurs 23 Nov

Book your free place here: ✅ https://loom.ly/5Yfzcc8

Thought about fostering? Then talk to one of our foster carers. Visit our fostering information stand tomorrow at Walsall Manor Hospital. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Come and visit our Fostering Information stand tomorrow at Walsall Works Jobs Fair. We will be happy to provide information and answer your fostering questions. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

New Horizon is a fostering scheme that aims to help Walsall children currently living in children’s homes. We want to support children so they can stay in Walsall borough and be cared for by local foster carers. More details about the scheme here https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering/foster-with-walsall/new-horizon-fostering-scheme

Join our online fostering information session. This is a great way to talk with us about fostering and have your questions answered from the comfort of your home. Register free at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering/events

📌 : Join us in honouring our heroes this Remembrance Day.

Remembrance services and parades are taking place across the borough this week. Find the complete schedule here: 🔗https://t.co/4Qx80dLGkT

Happy Diwali to all celebrating.

We recently hosted a visit in the Mayors Parlour for Jill and Kevin Pettet as a gesture of appreciation for their dedicated service as foster parents upon their retirement. They were joined by Jacque Bennett, a Supervising Social Worker from the Council.

Foster carers play a crucial role in our community, providing care to children who cannot live with their birth families for various reasons. They make a positive impact on young lives, offering support during challenging times. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Pettet, as well as all the other foster carers in our borough, for their exceptional dedication and hard work.

If you're interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer within Walsall Council, please visit the Council website at: go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Fostering in Walsall

🔦 This we want to spotlight books written for and about children in .

✨ We'll go first: Laura Henry Allain MBE MBE has written a beautiful book 'My Family Your Family', published by Ladybird Books, which explores the concept of family and devotes a page to .

❓ Can you share some other books for a bit of bedtime reading inspo?

Our Foster Carer has battled the weather to answer your fostering questions and talk about her fostering experience. Come and have a chat in the warmth of the New Art Gallery today 🙂. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

New Horizon is a fostering scheme that aims to help Walsall children currently living in children’s homes. These homes might be miles away from their family and friends. We want to support children so they can stay in Walsall borough and be cared for by local foster carers.
This scheme is different because:
- In most instances, each foster carer will be approved for only one child
- There is a careful matching process
- It has an individual support package
- It is child-focused
More details about the scheme here https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering/foster-with-walsall/new-horizon-fostering-scheme

Want to know what it's like to be a Foster carer? Then ask one of our Foster Carer today at the New Art Gallery, who will be happy to answer your fostering questions and talk about her experience. We look forward to meeting you. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

It was great to talk about fostering with the Sikh community yesterday and a nice surprise to learn that some community members were retired foster carers, who shared with us, their wonderful stories. Fostering is a rewarding career for so many. Find out more about fostering at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Answering your fostering questions and providing information at Manor Hospital, Moat Rd, Walsall WS2 9PS, 10am - 2pm, outside the Maternity department (The Island) next to the Walsall Connected Section. We look forward to meeting you.
https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

Thought about fostering? Then come along to the fostering information stand and have your fostering questions answered. We look forward to meeting you. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

We will be at New Art Gallery, providing fostering information and answering your questions. We look forward to meeting you. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

We are looking forward to answering your fostering questions and providing information at Walsall Manor Hospital, Moat Rd, Walsall WS2 9PS. https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering

🔧As a , would you like some practical tools and tips about raising the child of a relative or friend?

💻 Check out the online workshops we have on offer this October: https://loom.ly/5Yfzcc8

✨Managing contact - practical tools and tips
✨Managing contact: the emotional journey
✨What financial help am I entitled to as a kinship carer
✨Preparing for sensitive conversations
✨Understanding trauma and attachment
✨Building resilience and wellbeing in your kinship family
✨Managing the cost of raising a child
✨Introduction to kinship care
✨How to improve challenging behaviour
✨Adoption support fund (ASF)
✨Overview of the EHCP and SEND process
✨Better communication and the teenage years
💛 Our workshops are a safe space for you to ask questions!

❗ Important information: Before you register for a workshop, you need to sign up for a free Zoom account using the email you’ll join the workshop on. Without a Zoom account, you won’t be able to register for the workshop. If you have any questions, you can contact us at [email protected].

Throughout October we’re celebrating amazing children of foster carers and the impact they have on the lives of children in foster care. 🙌

Next up we want to say a big thank you to 10-year-old Molly. Her parents have been fostering babies on a respite and emergency basis for four years and say Molly has been absolutely amazing throughout. She takes fostering in her stride and accepts the babies joining her family as little brothers and sisters, sharing her toys and helping out whenever needed.🧸

The family have been caring for a little girl, who’s now two, since she was a baby and Molly has loved watching her develop and grow since she's been in their care. 💗

Not only does Molly have an amazing impact on her foster-siblings, her mum Emma says fostering has had an incredible impact on Molly’s life. It’s helped build her confidence and understanding of others.

Thank you for everything you do for children in foster care Molly! The fostering community wouldn't be the same without you! ✨🤩

There is still time to join the online fostering information session tomorrow. Register at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering/events

Today in Children of Foster Carers Month we'd like to celebrate Becky, who is a shining example of how much children of foster carers contribute to fostering. 🥰

She has been a sister to more than 20 children who have joined her family over the last six years. 🌟

Her mum, Jacqueline, said Becky is her ‘absolute rock and a wonderful asset to our fostering family’. She is described as having incredible empathy and enthusiasm and goes out of her way to develop a deep understanding of the journey each child has been on.💖

Becky has moved away for university but remains an integral part of the fostering family – ensuring she keeps in contact with her foster siblings during term time. She says she’s now looking forward to seeing them all soon during the Christmas holidays, as they all make it extra fun. 🎄

Fostering families wouldn’t be the same without people like you Becky – thank you for everything you do! 🤩

Throughout October we’re sharing the stories of incredible children of foster carers as we celebrate the role they play in fostering families. 🎉

Sometimes growing up fostering has such a huge impact on children of foster carers, they grow up to become foster carers themselves. 🧡

We'd like to introduce Naomi whose parents have fostered for almost 30 years! ✨

Naomi says that while sharing her parents as a child was challenging at times, she wouldn’t change her fostering experience for the world.

Her and her siblings learnt so much through fostering and it influenced Naomi’s decision to become a foster carer at the age of 22, alongside her husband. They’ve now been fostering for nine years and have their own birth child. 💖

‘It’s the biggest blessing to be able to commit to fostering as a family’, Naomi said.

It’s so wonderful to hear the significant impact fostering has on families like Naomi’s – thank you for everything!🌟

New Horizon is a fostering scheme that aims to help Walsall children currently living in children’s homes. These homes might be miles away from their family and friends. We want to support children so they can stay in Walsall borough and be cared for by local foster carers.

This scheme is different because:
- In most instances, each foster carer will be approved for only one child
- There is a careful matching process
- It has an individual support package
- It is child-focused
More details about the scheme here
https://go.walsall.gov.uk/fostering/foster-with-walsall/new-horizon-fostering-scheme

💛 to look after yourself this
✅ Sign up for the 'Coach Your Voice Through Breathing' wellbeing workshop for : https://loom.ly/dFNBW8Q
ℹ️ Learn breath work exercises and explore your own unique, individual voice in a playful and fun way.
📆 Wednesday 4 October 10:30-11:30am

It's Kinship Care Week. Please take a moment to read the article about how our children are supported by Walsall council, the child's relatives and/or friends who step in to provide care when the parents are unable to do so. Grandparents Shaun and Louise kindly tell us about their experience too.

💛 Today is and we want to celebrate all the amazing, resilient and devoted who are caring for their .

💛 begins tomorrow and we can't wait to celebrate all the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, siblings and friends who everyday love and care for more than 160,000 in England and Wales.

💛 See how you can get involved in for 👉 https://loom.ly/zEkE81U

It was wonderful to meet the star of our new fostering film 'Any of Us'. Well done Rosy and thank you, we appreciate your hard work.
Watch the film: https://youtu.be/46C7fN1tuvU