The Irish Foster Care Association launches Fostering Awareness Week

The Irish Foster Care Association launches Fostering Awareness Week in Galway.

The Irish Foster Care Association is the representative body for foster care in Ireland. Childcentred and rights-based, IFCA promotes excellence in foster care so that children have the best chances in life.Their aim is to accomplish this by providing information, support, and learning opportunities for all those involved in foster care through our direct work in Advocacy, Branch Development, Support, and Learning and Development. We are an independent, membership-led organisation.

CEO Catherine Bond says, “We are delighted to launch Fostering Awareness Week today. Fostering Awareness Week is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible work that goes on to support so many children in foster care in Ireland’.

The theme of fostering awareness week is Communities Fostering Together #bepartofit. IFCA wants to promote and acknowledge the work of all those involved in foster care: foster carers, the child’s birth family, social workers, teachers, other professionals and those champions for children from all walks of life who support children in foster care.

We wish to raise awareness of the important work that happens every day in foster care, in foster families and in the wider community. A series of events will take place nationally and locally that will bring communities together to celebrate foster care.

IFCA launches Fostering Awareness Week in Galway to celebrate the reopening of the Galway branch of foster carers and others who have an interest in foster care. IFCA is showcasing aspects of communities fostering together each day on its website, www.ifca.ie, and local branches are hosting coffee mornings and training events around the country.

IFCA invites everyone to #bepartofit by tweeting and sharing. “We want to celebrate all of the positive things that happen for children and young people in foster care every day,” says Catherine Bond. “There are thousands of children and young people in foster care attending school and extra- curricular activities every day, leading happy and fulfilling lives”.

For further information on events log on to www.ifca.ie