When Craig and Clare’s daughter brought Foster Bear into their home last year it touched the hearts of all the family and encouraged them to take the next step into becoming Foster Carers.
Primary schools across Flintshire have welcomed Foster Bear into their classrooms, a new campaign launched by Foster Wales Flintshire to promote fostering. Children in years 3 and 4 are given the opportunity to take Foster Bear home for a weekend during which they look after and care for the bear.
The Foster Bear campaign aims to raise awareness of local authority fostering and outline the urgency to recruit more foster carers in Flintshire.
Before the campaign was officially launched earlier this year, a primary school in Flintshire trialled the initiative last year and Craig and Clare’s daughter was one of the first children to take home and care for Foster Bear. The campaign encouraged the family to contact Foster Wales Flintshire and shortly after they began their process of becoming foster carers, which has just been approved.
Clare and Craig said ‘’We have always thought about fostering then along came Foster Bear from our daughter’s school. Our daughter took great care of Foster Bear and it came everywhere with us. It was a great message to send.
We contacted Foster Wales Flintshire and started our journey into becoming approved foster carers. The checks are in depth and give you plenty of time to make sure you're making the right decision.
We are incredibly nervous but equally excited, and we really hope to make a huge difference to a local child's life.’’
Neil Ayling, Chief Officer for Flintshire County Council added ‘’ Foster Bear is a fantastic way of getting the message out in Flintshire that fostering is such an important and rewarding role, that everyday people in our communities can take on and have such a huge positive impact on the lives of young people. I am delighted to hear that Foster Bear helped Craig and Clare come forward and wish them every success in this exciting new part of their lives’’
We welcome Clare and Craig into our team and look forward to supporting them throughout their fostering journey.
If you would like more information on becoming a foster carer with your local authority in Flintshire, please contact Melissa on 01352 701965 or find more information here: https://www.fosterwales.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Home.aspx