We're incredibly grateful to all our amazing foster carers for all they do for the borough's children and young people.
We pride ourselves on holding regular events and celebrations of fostering.
When you're applying, we buddy you up with one of our foster carers so they can tell you about the role. They can talk through any questions you have from their hands-on experience.
We also run fostering support groups, and some of our foster carers run their own independent support groups.
Foster carer celebration
Every year we have a special event where we celebrate our foster carers who've hit significant fostering milestones. For example, if they've been fostering for 5, 10, 15, or more years.
We're very lucky to have foster carers who've fostered with us for a long time.
The Holt family have fostered with us since January 1976 and in that time they've fostered over 300 children. We put them forward to be recognised in the Census 2021 community celebration, and they were amongst only 12 people in the UK to receive a special plaque for their commitment to their community.
Michael and Marilyn Holt with their Census plaque to celebrate fostering with us for over 45 years.
Foster Care Fortnight
Since 2020, to celebrate Foster Care Fortnight in May, we've hand-delivered a lovely box of Browns' Cakes to all of our foster families.
It's a small gesture to let them know we think they're wonderful and we couldn't do any of this without them.
Assistant director of children’s social care, Julia Hassall, surprises one of our foster carers with a sweet delivery.