Wolverhampton will officially thank dozens of long serving foster carers for the vital work they do looking after vulnerable children in the city at a special event next week.

The City of Wolverhampton Council's Fostering for Wolverhampton team is set to present long service awards to around 50 foster carers at a ceremony in the Mayor's Parlour on Friday 23 October, 2015.

They include individuals and couples who have devoted between 10 and 35 years of their lives to fostering local children - while there will also be a special presentation to Christine and John Whatton, who were awarded MBEs for services for children in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June after fostering for more than four decades.

Councillor Val Gibson, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, will present the awards and said: "We are very lucky to have so many foster carers in Wolverhampton who combine a desire to help children with a commitment to providing the best possible care for them.

"I'm very honoured to have been invited to meet these hard working individuals and couples who have dedicated their lives to supporting vulnerable young people in Wolverhampton, and to personally thank them for their efforts."

Friday's ceremony will also be attended by the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Ian Brookfield who added: "We are looking forward to expressing our profound thanks for all the hard work undertaken by our foster carers."

Foster carers can be sole carers, married or in a relationship. Placements can be anything from a few days to a number of years, and they receive a regular, tax exempt allowance to cover the cost of bringing up the child.

Help and support is available 24 hours a day, while first time foster carers also receive 6 months' "buddy support" from experienced carers who are there to guide them through the system.

Councillor Gibson added: "Fostering can truly be a life changing experience, both for the foster carers and the young people they care for, and we'd love to hear from anyone else who is interested in helping local children by becoming a foster carer."

People can find out more about fostering by visiting Type=articles;Articleid=3758;Title=Fostering; or calling the Fostering for Wolverhampton team on 01902 551133.

  • released: Friday 16 October, 2015