Find out more at a roadshow coming to Wimbledon
Merton Council is hosting a series of roadshow events around the borough during Foster Care Fortnight for people to find out more about becoming a foster carer.
Foster Care Fortnight runs between 8-21 May and Merton Council has organised the information events in town centres, including one in Wimbledon, with the aim of recruiting new foster carers who can provide a vulnerable child with safe and secure place to live.
The council says, whatever your age, ethnicity, marital status, sexuality or personal circumstances, fostering could be for you. To become a foster carer, you need to have a spare bedroom and some experience of young people. Time, patience, resilience and understanding are essential qualities for fostering a child. You will also need people in your family or community who will be able to provide practical help and emotional support. Fostering is about more than just parenting – it is a team of people working with parents and social workers to care for children.
There is currently a shortage of foster carers for children of all ages in Merton, but particularly for teenagers and sibling groups.
Merton Council is putting on the roadshow events so people can find out more about what fostering involves. A team of friendly experts can offer advice and guidance for anyone interested in becoming a foster carer. There will be information about the assessment process, training, financial allowances and the comprehensive support provided by Merton Council for foster carers.
Merton Council’s Director of Children, Schools and Families, Yvette Stanley, said: “Fostering is a way of providing a family life for a child who is unable to live with their parents and can be incredibly rewarding. The roadshows we have organised to mark Foster Care Fortnight are a great opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a foster carer to ask questions and find out more about how they can provide a safe and loving home for a vulnerable child.”
The roadshows will be held during Fostering Fortnight in town centres across Merton:
To find out more about fostering a child, visit: www.merton.gov.uk/fostering
Call: 0800 073 0874 or 020 8545 4070 or email fostering@merton.gov.uk.
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May 7, 2017