Fostering Team
Foster Wales Merthyr Tydfil is a local authority, not for profit, fostering service, which forms part of Children’s services in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. The team is based in the Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN.
Foster Wales Merthyr Tydfil is one of the twenty-two other local authorities across Wales who work under the umbrella of Foster Wales.
We aim to support children to remain living in their local area and communities, close to school, health services, friends and extended family when they are not able to continue to live at home.
Foster Wales Merthyr Tydfil is responsible for the recruitment, supervision, and support of mainstream foster carers as well as the assessment of connected persons, support and supervision of kinship foster carers and development of the special guardian support service.
Our fostering team aims to recruit all types of foster carers to make sure that when a child or young person needs support in foster care, we always have plenty of choices. In terms of different types of foster care, we recruit short- or long-term carers where children and young people may need support from anywhere between a couple of nights or for a number of months or years. We recognise the importance of support carers who usually provide consistent short-term care for a child or young person who lives with a long-term foster carer to help maintain placement support and stability.
We hold regular recruitment events throughout the Local Authority as well attending other larger events arranged by local businesses and organisations, with the aim of speaking to people within our community about fostering, gathering interest in fostering and recruiting foster carers here in Merthyr Tydfil.
Your fostering team will support you from your first enquiry, through assessment and in your role once approved as a foster carer. Your local authority fostering team has extremely close working links with all other teams who form part of the team around the child which is a strength in terms of communication and accessing support.
We work hard to create a feeling of community between our foster carers here in Merthyr Tydfil and recognise the invaluable support carers provide to one another.
We have regular support groups, coffee mornings, meet-ups, parties, activities during school holidays and more which provide opportunities to catch up with other carers and for children to spend time together. We recognise the importance of the team being present and developing strong relationships with all carers.