Wolverhampton City Council hosted the Safe to Be Me Conference, bringing foster parents together for a day of learning, reflection and celebration centred on helping children and young people feel safe, valued and accepted for who they are.
Through keynote presentations and interactive workshops, participants explored themes including trauma, identity, culture, belonging and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Keynote Speaker Sarah Dillon
A particular highlight of the conference was keynote speaker Sarah Dillon, a therapist, author and former fostered child, whose presentation resonated with foster parents throughout the day.
Drawing on both her professional expertise and lived experience, Sarah explored how identity develops, the lasting impact of trauma and the role relationships play in helping children heal and thrive. She challenged attendees to think differently about what children bring with them into their foster home and how foster parents can help rebuild a child's sense of self.
Sarah said: "It was a privilege to speak at the 'Safe to Be Me' conference and spend time with Wolverhampton's foster parents. Identity is shaped through relationships, and foster parents play a vital role in helping children feel safe, valued and accepted for who they are. When children experience that sense of belonging, it can be life changing."
One of Sarah's key messages was that children can belong to more than one family and that fostering is not about replacing a child's past but helping them write a safer next chapter.
Interactive Workshop Activity
One of the day's most impactful activities, 'Unpacking Me: What I Carry', invited foster parents to consider what a child brings with them when they enter their foster home. Using a rucksack filled with objects representing memories, experiences, comforts and emotional needs, participants explored the significance these items may hold for a child and their identity.
Foster parents reflected on what they would take with them if they had to leave home at short notice, encouraging them to think about the emotional impact of leaving behind the people, possessions and memories that help us feel connected, safe and understood.
The exercise reinforced a key message of the conference: that when children come into a foster home, they bring their experiences, relationships, culture, memories and sense of self. Understanding these things is an essential part of helping children feel safe, supported and able to build trusting relationships.
Recognition for Foster Parents
Certificates were presented during the event in recognition of the dedication, commitment and support shown by Wolverhampton's foster parents, celebrating the difference they make to the lives of children and young people every day.