Birmingham’s foster families attended a special evening to recognise and celebrate the amazing work they do every day looking after the city’s most vulnerable children.
Foster Carer of the Year
Keith and Carroll Daniels were awarded ‘Foster Carer of the Year’ having been carers for Birmingham Children’s Trust since July 1972 – that’s 51 years of service!
During this time, they think they have cared for between 90 – 95 children, and they have provided both short-term and long-term care. They are still in touch with some of the children they have cared for over the years.
Although Keith and Carroll were unable to attend the event itself, they were presented with their award earlier in the week at their home which they were very humbled to receive.
Award Winners
On the night, foster families who have gone above and beyond were presented with the following awards:
- Unsung Hero Award x4 – This award recognises foster carers who have gone the extra mile to support children and young people in their care.
- Sons and Daughters Award x4 – This award acknowledges that fostering is a family commitment and recognises the contribution that birth children have made to supporting positive outcomes for children and young people in their family’s care.
- Supporting Positive Change Award x2 – This award recognises foster carers who have supported a child or young person to make significant positive changes in their life.
- Birmingham Foster Care Association (BFCA) Award – This award is nominated by the BFCA for a contribution that has made a positive difference.
- Young Person’s Choice Award x2 – The award recognises the positive impact that the foster carer has had on children and young people in their care.
An Inspirations Evening
Tracy Collins, Head of Mainstream Fostering said:
“What a positive evening where we recognised and celebrated some of the achievement our foster carers have made to the children in their care.
We heard some truly humbling accounts of the differences they have made to so many children and the excellent outcomes children have been supported to achieve, with many remaining part of their extended fostering family as adults.
What an inspirational evening! Our foster carers are amazing – they are all our unsung heroes who are committed and passionate about providing our children and young people with a loving, secure and positive family life. The Foster Carer Awards is one of the highlights of my year and an absolute privilege to be part of.”
Foster Carer Recruitment Ambassadors
A presentation was also given to the Foster Carer Recruitment Ambassadors – an active group of carers who meet with the Fostering Service Recruitment Team every 6 weeks to talk about the best way to recruitment more foster carers, plan activities, events, media and PR.
The Ambassadors are a real asset to Birmingham’s recruitment efforts and have supported by actively going out in their local communities distributing posters, leaflets, and holding coffee mornings. They also attend events including fostering information evenings, jobs fairs and community events. Some Ambassadors have kindly given interviews with local radio stations and newspapers, written blogs for our website, and recorded videos for social media channels. They too were celebrated for the vital work they do highlighting the need for more foster carers locally.
Enquire
The Fostering Network (the UKs leading fostering charity) estimates that there is currently a shortage of 6,000 fostering households in England. We are actively recruiting for more foster carers in Birmingham. If you are interested in finding out more about this rewarding role, we would love to hear from you!
Our foster carers receive a competitive financial package as well as ongoing specialist training and support.
Call our dedicated recruitment team today on 0121 303 7575 or enquire online!
