Children Plant Trees For Foster Care Fortnight | FCA Fostering News

April 30, 2008

To celebrate the first day of Foster Care Fortnight, foster children and carers from Foster Care Associates (FCA) will be enjoying a morning of tree planting at the Memorial Woodlands woodland cemetery in Thornbury, on 12th May.

The theme of the occasion, “foster a tree, foster the future” likens foster children to tree saplings; both requiring nurture and care to grow strong. The Foster Care Fortnight campaign is an annual campaign which aims to recruit more people into foster caring.

Foster carer, Mrs Andy Hider, has been a carer for 23 years. She said,

“Being a foster carer can be a challenging role but the rewards are also enormous. Over the years I've welcomed over nearly eighty foster children into my home and to see them thrive and overcome many emotional hurdles is wonderful. For me, fostering has been a life changing experience. What we now need is for more potential foster carers to come forward and consider fostering as a career.”

Wayne Armstrong from Memorial Woodlands said,

“We are delighted that we are able to play a part in helping the Foster Care Fortnight cause and FCA. At Memorial Woodlands, we are continually creating a natural environment for the future so it seems fitting that children should help plant the trees which will be here for generations to come.”

Since it was founded in 2000, hundreds of trees have been planted at the Memorial Woodlands woodland cemetery creating an environmental legacy for the future. It is now one of the leading woodland cemeteries in the country, which members of the public are encouraged to enjoy.

Foster Care Associates (FCA) is the UK’s leading independent foster care agency with a network of 80 offices across the UK. In the UK there is currently a shortfall of 10,000 foster carers and 600 of these are around the Bristol area. FCA is continually seeking to attract new carers who believe they have the understanding and determination to succeed.

To find out more about the Memorial Woodlands, please contact 01454 414999, www.memorialwoodlands.com. If you would like to know more about fostering, please contact Foster Care Associates on 0800 0852225, www.iwanttofoster.com