Families who give a caring home to local children by fostering have been celebrated and thanked at a special appreciation event.

Foster Carer Appreciation Day was held at The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth, an award-winning venue where guests enjoyed a wide range of outdoor and indoor activities.

The event, the first to be held since 2019, was an opportunity to thank Bolton’s outstanding foster and kinship carers for all the amazing work they do.

The generous support of Bolton at Home and Robertson Group ensured that Foster Carer Appreciation Day 2022 could go ahead at no cost to the council.

Around 250 carers and family members enjoyed a relaxing lunch, and spent the afternoon playing football in the field, making arts and crafts, and visiting the llamas and other animals.

Other family fun included a storytelling stage, circus skills, face painting and cake decorating.

Ten carers were also awarded with long service certificates and a bouquet of flowers for fostering with Bolton Council for 20 or 30 years.

Among those recognised with was Janet Cooper, who enjoyed a day full of positivity and enthusiasm.

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She said: “I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely long service award presented to me at the Foster Carer Appreciation Day.

“The day was a huge success, and it was lovely to catch up with carers and other professionals for an afternoon of fun, food and laughter.”

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Anne Galloway, said: “Carers who foster with the council are an essential part of the Bolton Family, providing a caring home to looked after children and helping make sure they can stay in the local area, near to their family and friends.

“It has been a challenging time since our last appreciation event, and we wanted to do something special for the foster carers who make a real difference in the lives of young people.

“The feedback from the day has been incredible and we will continue to show our gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional work our foster carers do.”

A foster carer can be anyone aged 21 and over, who has a spare room and can provide children with a stable environment.

Carers can be single or in a couple and do not need to own their own home.

Foster carers are paid for their services and placements can vary from overnight stays to several years.

Foster carers in Bolton receive extensive training, a locally based supervising social worker, out of hours support and an experienced foster carer “buddy”.