Children who help welcome foster children into their homes are being celebrated for the important part they play in fostering families.
Worcestershire County Council’s fostering service is marking Children of Foster Carers’ Week, which runs from October 12-18, and highlights the contributions of birth children in supporting foster children.
Many foster children build trust first with other children in the home before connecting with adults.
Ollie, aged 12, said: “Fostering is fun. You get to meet lots of new and different people and do lots of fun things together.
“It’s like having lots of new brothers and sisters.”
His parents Em and Paul Simmons, foster carers for eight years, said: “Ollie has made lots of new friends through fostering, with other birth children, our foster children and also their new siblings when they move to their forever homes.
“It’s like we now have a very big extended family which is amazing.”
Councillor Natalie McVey, cabinet member with responsibility for children and families, said: “Ollie is a wonderful example of the positive impact fostering can have on the whole family.”
Find out more about fostering at the Worcestershire Fostering website.
