This Foster Care Fortnight (15-28 May), Calderdale Council is hosting events to celebrate the huge difference that fostering makes to children and young people across Calderdale
Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign, delivered by the charity The Fostering Network.
The theme for this year’s campaign is #FosteringCommunities, and during the fortnight, the Council’s fostering team and local foster carers will be highlighting the benefits of becoming a foster carer and recognising the valuable contribution they make to local communities.
To help spread the word about joining Calderdale Council’s fostering community, two special Parkrun events are taking place. On Saturday 20 May, the fostering team and foster carers will be in Centre Vale Park in Todmorden and on Saturday 27 May they will visit Shroggs Park in Halifax. Anyone is welcome to run, walk or just come along to find out more information about fostering with the Council.
In addition to attracting new foster carers, the Council is also celebrating the amazing team of existing foster carers that make up the Calderdale fostering community, with a celebration event on Wednesday 24 May. This is an opportunity to recognise their incredible efforts and to say thank you for the difference they make to children and young people in the borough.
Fostering with the Council comes with many benefits and support every step of the way, including generous financial allowances, extensive training and development, one-to-one help, local support groups and a close community of foster carers. There are also extra incentives, including a discounts package with local businesses, free gym and swim membership for all the family in the fostering household, and the major new benefit of a Council Tax exemption for Calderdale foster carers who live in the borough, to recognise their kindness and the extra challenges of the rising cost of living.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Adam Wilkinson, said:
“This Foster Care Fortnight, we want to say a huge thank you to the amazing team of foster carers in the borough and their incredible contribution. We’re also hosting events for people to find out more about the process of becoming a foster carer and the massive amount of support which is available, from the initial expression of interest and throughout the fostering journey.
“Fostering with Calderdale Council can be so rewarding. There are many reasons why people choose to foster, but most importantly, the decision could make a huge difference to a young person’s life.”
To find out more about fostering for Calderdale Council, visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/fostering. The website contains lots of information about the support available and benefits of fostering as well as detail about the process and commitment involved. You can also call 01422 266020, email fostering@calderdale.gov.uk or find out more on Facebook at https://en-gb.facebook.com/foster4calderdale/(external link)
To hear from existing Calderdale Council foster carers, watch the films at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLzgs-5Y10(external link) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAH2ba-HaPk(external link)
Our Vision2024 for Calderdale is to be a place where everyone can realise their potential regardless of their starting point. Becoming a foster carer with the Council supports this vision and the kindness shown by foster carers helps to build a more resilient future. The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday and there’s less than a year to go. Visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision
ENDS