It’s Foster Care Fortnight which means it’s the perfect time to celebrate and highlight the impact that foster carers make in our city.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘the Power of Relationships’ and we are marking the fortnight by sharing stories from Coventry foster carers and the young people they have helped.
Today, we’re sharing Shona and Mandy’s Story. Shona, who is a care experienced young person, met Mandy on a trip to Plas Dol Y Moch. The two of them formed a bond which was formalised through our Fostering and Lifelong Links Programme.
To find out more about their relationship and the impact it’s had on Shona and Mandy, we met up with them and Cllr Patricia Seaman. You can watch that conversation below or on the Council’s YouTube Channel.
When reflecting further on Mandy’s impact on her life, Shona had this to say: “Having Mandy and her family as my lifelong links has been such an amazing experience for me. They have welcomed me in as their own and shown me so much care, love and compassion. I will be forever grateful for them.
“They've taken me on holidays, had me over for Christmas and most importantly, have shown me what it means to experience the every day family things that others might not really notice.
“I think if foster carers and other life long links could be anywhere near as genuine as Mandy, children in care and care leavers would have a much better chance in life. That's what they deserve.”
Cllr Patricia Seaman, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “I think it’s really important to talk about the importance of relationships when it comes to caring for young people. Building that trust and knowing that people are there for you is such a key part of providing young people with the support they need to thrive.
“Mandy and Shona’s story is so heartwarming because you can see the genuine affection between the two of them and just by speaking to them you get a sense of how both their lives have been enriched.
“We’re always looking for good, kind people like Mandy to join us as foster carers. The impact they can have is immeasurable. So please, if you’re interested, get in touch with us.”
Being a foster carer with the Council offers generous financial allowances, bespoke training and mentoring, strong support groups, and 24/7 help offering expert advice. People will also receive regular professional guidance and support from Supervising Social Workers.
If people want to find out more about fostering, people can come along to one of our online or drop-in information sessions, it’s a great chance to ask questions and get to know us. Details for the upcoming information sessions can be found at coventry.gov.uk/fosteringinfoevents.
For more general information about foster care, the benefits of being a carer, and how they will be supported, people can call the Council’s fostering team on 024 7683 2828 or visit coventry.gov.uk/fostering.