Benny Celebrates Foster Care Fortnight 2020 

Benny the Bear, the Five Rivers mascot, is here to thank all our carers in Fostering Fortnight, May 11^th to 24th, 2020:

I’ve spent a lot of time with children over the past six months and they have been telling me about the great work their foster carers do to look after them. Here are just a few of those amazing, kind-hearted people who help our young people learn, grow and thrive:

Their stories show how different types of people can come to fostering at different stages of their lives. Some of them are helping a young person by caring for them all the way to 18. Other families look after young people in a crisis for a short time.

You are all BEARY skilful people and am full of awe of what you do everyday!

Thank you!

 

Benny the Bear

Tidworth foster couple Nats and Rupert, a military family in South and South East – long term foster placement

Ugandan born Tom and Lucy Etum-Ejon – foster child asylum seekers

Gloucestershire parents Sally and Tony Cooper in South West – fostered 80 children

Doncaster couple Maxine and Wayne Calladine – help siblings transition to adoption

Chesterfield woman, Cathy Saxton in Midlands and North – a full time single foster carer

Joanne and Damian Ward in South West – long-term placements

Cornish foster couple Joanne and Rob Winfield – currently long term fostering

Romford foster carer Vikki Harris in London and East – from a care-experienced background

Jean and Hossein Shenava from Hartlepool – specialists in parent and child placements

 Laura Grinyer, a young foster carer from St Austell in Cornwall

Foster Care Fortnight™ is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign. It showcases the commitment, passion and dedication of foster carers. It also supports fostering services to highlight the positive impact fostering is making to the lives of children and young people, including sibling groups, those with disabilities and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.