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Annual Foster Carer Conference celebrates foster carers in the city
In March, the council’s Virtual School team hosted its annual Foster Carer Conference to celebrate the invaluable work of foster carers in the city.
The event, which took place at the University of Sussex, included a keynote talk from Ashley John-Baptiste, a senior reporter for the BBC and presenter of The One Show who grew up in care from the age of 4.
Recognising important work
Councillor Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to all foster carers in Brighton & Hove for their incredible work supporting our young people.
“Foster carers make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people every day by providing a safe, loving and supportive base from which they can realise their potential and access learning opportunities.
“The Foster Carer Conference is an important opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the important work of foster carers across the city while sharing resources to ensure children and young people in care can achieve success through education.
“I’d also like to thank those who donated and who helped put together some products so our foster carers could leave with a few treats as a symbol of our gratitude.”
Following the event, a local foster carer said: “I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for a wonderful fostering conference. I really enjoyed attending, seeing everyone and listening to such uplifting talks. I felt proud to be part of our fostering community.”
Inspiring stories and resources
A Brighton & Hove care leaver inspired attendees by sharing her experience of education while in care.
Happy Home Learning highlighted a range of learning resources that can help foster families, and the University of Sussex discussed pathways to university for care-experienced young people.
The day also included a performance from Care to Dance CIC – a social enterprise supporting care-experienced young people through the medium of dance – while AudioActive explained how they’re encouraging young people in care to express themselves through music.
Fostering in Brighton & Hove
Our foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds, with lots of different life experiences and skills. The role of a foster carer is to provide a stable source of support, so life experience, insight, stamina and fortitude can be a great asset.
The council’s Virtual School team work to improve life opportunities and promote the best educational outcomes for children in care, children previously in care, and children with a social worker.