Fun and laughter for foster carers

The Southern Trust has hosted a Wellbeing Day to celebrate and thank foster, kinship and adoptive carers across the Armagh and Dungannon area.
SHSCT Staff and Zumba trainer Grainne Keenan with Foster carers at recent well-being day. Foster carers; Paula Rolestone from Portadown, Pauline Raynor from Loughgall, Margaret Kilpatrick from Market Hill and Shirley Mitchell from Tassagh.SHSCT Staff and Zumba trainer Grainne Keenan with Foster carers at recent well-being day. Foster carers; Paula Rolestone from Portadown, Pauline Raynor from Loughgall, Margaret Kilpatrick from Market Hill and Shirley Mitchell from Tassagh.
SHSCT Staff and Zumba trainer Grainne Keenan with Foster carers at recent well-being day. Foster carers; Paula Rolestone from Portadown, Pauline Raynor from Loughgall, Margaret Kilpatrick from Market Hill and Shirley Mitchell from Tassagh.

The event was aimed at recognising the central role foster carers play in providing stable, caring homes for vulnerable children and young people whilst also raising awareness of the need for more foster carers.

Carers were given the opportunity to enjoy dance and reflexology classes, relaxation sessions and receive advice on dealing with stress at the event.

Colm McCafferty, Assistant Director of Corporate Parenting for the Southern Trust, said: “Foster carers provide stable nurturing homes for children and young people who cannot remain with their own families.

“This event gave our carers a very much deserved chance to relax and be pampered whilst gaining information and gathering tips on dealing with

stress.

“It also gave them the chance to spend time with other carers and learn from each other’s experiences

“There is always a need for more foster carers and the Trust is currently looking to recruitpeople who can provide short term and long term placements as well as respite care forchildren and young people under 18 years of age.”

If you have time and space in your life for fostering and are interested in finding out mor Tel: 028 3833 7181 or email: [email protected].

Fostering is an act of caring for children who for some reason, cannot be cared for within their own families. Sometimes it is not possible to remain in their own/extended family and they need to be looked after by foster carers.

Fostering allows children to live with ordinary families and to lead as normal a life as possible. Fostering is a shared task between foster carers, social workers and natural parents.

All sorts of people can foster. They can be married, single, young, old, employed, unemployed, own a big house or small. You may have something to offer a child in need of a secure and loving family experience.

There are all sorts of foster carers from emergency, assessment carers, permanent carers, respite care, relative/friend placement or look after children with disabilities. In other circumstances, there may be a need for a child/young person to be placed regularly with foster carers for a few days each week or each month to provide regular support to their birth families.

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