Wolverhampton City Council's Fostering for Wolverhampton team hosted an event for kinship foster parents, providing an opportunity for them to take part in creative activities and connect with other families in similar situations.
The well-attended gathering featured a guided arts and crafts activity where guests decorated and personalised their own tote bags to take home. Alongside the creative work, kinship foster parents were able to enjoy cake and hot drinks, chat with members of the fostering team and build connections with other families from across the city.
What is kinship fostering?
Kinship fostering occurs when a child who cannot live with their parents is cared for by someone they already know — such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling or family friend — who becomes their foster parent. This arrangement helps children maintain important relationships and connections to their family and community.
Council recognition
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "Kinship foster parents do an incredible job, stepping forward to provide children with the love, stability and support they need, while helping them stay connected to the people and relationships that are important to them."
Jazmine Walker, Head of Service for Children & Young People in Care, added that the event was "an opportunity to have a chat, meet other kinship foster parents, enjoy some well deserved time for themselves and strengthen the connections within our fostering community."
Local Kinship Offer consultation
Wolverhampton is currently developing a Local Kinship Offer, which will set out the information, services and support available to kinship families and the children they care for.
Kinship families are being invited to help shape the offer by sharing their experiences, what is working well and where they would like to see further support. The consultation is open until Friday 23 October. Feedback will help identify priorities and ensure Wolverhampton's Local Kinship Offer reflects the needs and experiences of local kinship families.
The national kinship local offer is intended to make it easier for kinship families to understand what support is available locally, who is eligible and how they can access that support.
Get involved or find out more
For more information about fostering in Wolverhampton, contact the Fostering for Wolverhampton team at fostering@wolverhampton.gov.uk, visit the Fostering for Wolverhampton website or follow @fosteringforwolves on social media.