Council hoping for perfect 10 to step up to fostering

WOKINGHAM Borough Council needs 10 more local foster families for children and young people in care.

Now it has organised a special drop-in event to give prospective foster parents information and to meet people already on its list.

The event is part of Foster Care Fortnight and will be held on Thursday, May 23, at the Diamond Jubilee Room in Wokingham Town Hall.

Foster carers will share their experiences and discuss the positive life changes created for the children and young people involved.

People can drop-in between 1pm and 7.45pm.

Executive member for children services, Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons said: “We’d like to find local homes for all our children and encourage more local residents to come and talk to us about how fostering can change lives.”

“Our foster carers find fostering enormously rewarding. Children go into foster care for all sorts of reasons, usually not their own fault, but the work our foster carers do gives youngsters a happier and more supported life. We are really grateful to them and value them enormously.”

Foster carers, Steve and Monika Allum, are proud to foster. Steve said: “Looking after young people in care is challenging but we can't see us doing anything else. It has a positive impact on their lives.”

Foster families can benefit from a range of attractive remuneration packages, council tax exemption, excellent training including a specialist therapeutic programme, as well as one-to-one and out-of-hours support.

For more information, go to: www. fostering. wokingham. gov.uk