Fostering in Wales
When you join Foster Care Associates Cymru you will be joining a motivated and excited fostering provider committed to making a real difference to the lives of the children we care for.
Welcome to Foster Care Associates Cymru
We are Foster Care Associates - Ni ydy Gymdeithion Gofal Maeth
Foster Care Associates Cymru was established in 1997 and has been delivering foster care in Wales ever since. Over the past year, our fostering agency has received over 1,400 referrals for children and young people that have needed a safe, warm and loving home. With just over 140 foster parents across the region we need to recruit more to support and help the rising need of children and young people that need families. We can only continue to build brighter futures for these children with your help. If you have a spare room, are over the age of 21 and want to make a difference to a child’s life Foster Care Associates Cymru wants to hear from you.
Our Offices – Ein Swyddfeydd
Head Office - Recruitment
By Phone
Call a member of our friendly fostering team and they'll be able to answer all your questions
Cymru - Abergele
By Phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
By Email
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
Visit an office
Foster Care Associates, Ground Floor Building, 5510 North Wales Business Park, Abergele, LL22 8LJ
Cymru - Bridgend
By Phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
By Email
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
Visit an office
Foster Care Associates, Suite 4, Elm Court, Cowbridge Road, Bridgend, CF31 3SR
Benefits of working with FCA
24/7 advice service
Excellent ongoing training
Access to your local fostering team
Competitive payments
Local support groups
Local social activities and events
How do Foster Care Associates offer support in Cymru?
It’s the can-do attitude that makes fostering with Foster Care Associates Cymru such a rewarding experience. Our experienced team of fostering professionals will provide you with the highest levels of local support. We make sure you never feel alone, from monthly foster parent support groups to plenty of activities and events you’ll be instantly welcomed into our independent fostering agency's family and well looked after too.
- 24/7 local support: including monthly support groups for all foster parents in Cymru.
- Team Parenting: a regional and national network of childcare experts who may work with each child or young person to look after every single area of their well-being.
- Training and Development.
- Independent advice with a FREE membership to FosterTalk.
- A comprehensive events and activities calendar.
- Online support: Access to a portal to read about everything that is happening at Foster Care Associates, plus access to incredible discounts on family experiences, shopping and restaurants across the UK.
- Foster Carer Appreciation Day.
Here to support you
We provide the foundations for our foster families to create positive and lasting differences, it’s at the heart of everything we do in our fostering service at Foster Care Associates Cymru. We have a strong, professional and established team across Cymru that supports our foster parents, children and young people in all aspects of their family life. We are on hand to support you 24/7 all year round.
We hold a range of regular support groups across the whole region giving foster parents the opportunity to strengthen relationships with other foster parents in the area. Foster parents can come along for an informal chat to share knowledge, best practice, get support and training with our online training, or attend ADAPT Groups to support families with a therapeutic approach, or pop along for coffee and cake and a catch up. It’s a great opportunity for foster parents and staff to support each other.
Activities and events in Cymru
Having fun with our foster parents, children and young people is what makes Foster Care Associates Cymru special and what makes us so friendly and welcoming.
We hold regular fun and thrilling activities for everyone throughout the whole year such as; days out to family fun days, ice skating, climbing in Caernarfon, day trips to the beach and so much more, the list is endless!
In the summer months we hold one event each week, picked by our young people, to bring everyone together in the wider FCA family. Every year we ensure our Cymru choir takes place in the Big Sing Off our national choir competition (which we have won a couple of times). In 2018, we were lucky to host the event and welcomed over 600 children, young people, foster parents and staff to Abergele to sing their hearts out and see who would be crowned the the Big Sing Off choir champions.
After all the summer fun, our festive parties and celebrations begin with our young people and birth children achievement awards as well as Christmas parties where everyone gets involved in the festive fun!
Foster parent satisfaction survey
Thank you so much for bringing all our big FCA Cymru family together in what is a triumph! We absolutely loved the festival. It’s really helped with M’s confidence. It has helped her to communicate better and make long life friends who are of similar nature to her".
Welcome from Anne Armstrong, Registered Manager
Hi I am Anne, the Registered Manager - Rheolwr Cofrestredig for Cymru.
It has been another great year for FCA Cymru and we have seen some extremely positive outcomes for our children despite the terrible COVID restrictions of lockdown that we have had to endure. A week never goes by without a foster family sending in certificates or photographs depicting the great achievements our children have accomplished. We held a virtual All Cymru Achievement Awards Ceremony in November, to recognise the outstanding progress that our children have achieved during lockdown; this would not have been possible without the endless support of our foster families who have shown such tremendous resilience during this time. It has not been easy, but I can honestly say I have never seen such commitment from staff and foster parents in working with children to help them reach their maximum potential during our lockdown periods. I am very proud as the leader of FCA Cymru and I’m proud that we all stand for the same end result, the best possible outcomes for children.
We have held numerous activities during the last year, all virtual of course, from ‘end of Summer carnival’, Friday afternoon bingo, quizzes, cookery classes, Cymru’s got talent, parent and child classes, support groups, children’s forums, painting competitions, therapy groups, therapy Thursday to mention but a few. This virtual connection that we have developed with families during this time, has shown how strong a family we really are. All staff and students have been working from home and it has developed into a robust model of working effectively, knowing we are still supporting each other, in order to support our families to a high standard.
At FCA Cymru I am proud that we celebrate countless ‘time to shine foster families’ and members of staff; with exceptional practice being displayed time after time. We also recognise long service awards for staff and foster families every year, to thank them for the endless hours, weeks and months they have dedicated to fostering. As a region, we are motivated and excited to make a real a difference to the lives of the children we care for and we would love you to consider joining us to make a difference to the lives of children in our care.
Thinking about fostering? Contact us today - Meddwl am faethu? Cyswllt efo ni
Meet the Cymru team - Cyfarfod Y Tîm
Anne Armstrong
Registered Manager - Rheolwr Cofrestredig
Anna Pearson
Fostering Service Manager - Rheolwr Gwasanaeth Maethu
April Newman
Fostering Service Manager - Rheolwr Gwasanaeth Maethu
Anouska Keys
Office Manager - Rheolwr Swyddfa
Sharon Edwards
Office Manager - Rheolwr Swyddfa
Fiona Hatton
Placements Manager - Rheolwr Lleoliadau
Rebecca Hiscock
Placements Manager - Rheolwr Lleoliadau
