‘WONDERFUL’ foster carers in Warwickshire have been honoured at a special event.
Warwickshire Fostering hosted its annual Celebration Event to recognise the contributions of the county’s foster carers.
The celebrations at Old Shire Hall in Warwick brought together fostering families, new applicants, and council officials to highlight successes, share inspiring stories, and appeal for more foster carers.
New awards were handed out to 14 Children of Foster Carers from the Charity ‘Evelyn’s Gift’, acknowledging the vital role they play in welcoming children into their homes.
Three sibling groups were awarded prizes for their incredible kindness and understanding, welcoming children into their family and helping them feel a sense of belonging.
The honour of ‘Foster Carer of the Year’ was awarded to Jayne and Craig for their 11 years of commitment, offering a safe, secure, and permanent home to three young people who will stay with them into adulthood and beyond.
The couple said: “For us, fostering is extremely rewarding; being able to watch a young child, who is often broken, go from strength to strength in all aspects of their life. Yes, there are challenges that present themselves along the way, but the rewards far out way these.
“The advice, support and training that is offered to us enables us to be the best version of ourselves, which in turn gives our foster children the best opportunities in life.
“We would encourage anybody who is curious about fostering, to seek advice and make those first steps by contacting Warwickshire County Council Fostering.”
Other accolades included the ‘Award for Working with the team around the child’ given to Elinor and April, the ‘Award for providing Support for other foster carers’ to Joy, and the ‘Advocating for a child’ award for Alida and Ryan.
Other highlights included long-service awards recognising commitment from 10 to 30 years.
A central theme of the evening was the need to recruit more foster carers – particularly for teenagers and siblings – across the county, where there are currently 797 children in care.
Speaking at the event, Rebecca Clifford, Manager of the Warwickshire Fostering Recruitment Team, said: “There are lots of myths around who can be a foster carer. People assume they need to be superheroes or a perfect 2.4 children family. I can honestly say we have the most wonderful, diverse bunch of foster carers in Warwickshire.
“We are looking for people with love to give, with understanding that children who have been through tough experiences may find life tricky – and a spare room certainly helps.
“To anyone thinking of taking the leap, my team are available to talk you through the different options available to suit every lifestyle.”
Coun George Finch, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Children and Families at Warwickshire County Council, said: “With nearly 800 children in care in Warwickshire, we urgently need more people to take the next step and find out more about fostering with Warwickshire Fostering.
“By choosing to foster locally, applicants can help to ensure that children can remain close to their schools, friends, and family networks, which is truly invaluable.”
Those considering fostering in Warwickshire are invited to Warwickshire Fostering’s final online information event for this year on December 10 at 7pm.
Visit https://fostering.warwickshire.gov.uk or email [email protected] for more information.
