That’s the message of a powerful new fostering film – any of us can foster a child or young person, if you have the capacity to care.

Two adopted brothers and their school friends have donated their Christmas presents to children in need in Wolverhampton – all in memory of their close friend who sadly passed away this year.

The boys aged seven and four, and both adopted via Adoption@Heart, the adoption agency for the Black Country, came up with the idea after hearing about how many children would normally go without presents over the festive period.

Foster Care Fortnight 2023 began with the theme of #FosteringCommunities – celebrating the strength and resilience of fostering communities and all they do to ensure children are cared for and supported to thrive.  

Foster parents - single, married or in a relationship – are never on their own as help and support is always available - 24 hours a day. And they will always receive ‘buddy support’ from experienced foster parents who are there to help and guide them and they receive a regular, tax exempt fee and allowance to cover the cost of bringing up the child. 

Adoption charity PACT (Parents And Children Together) is urgently appealing for people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities to consider adoption.

PACT, which offers outstanding Ofsted-rated adoption services to families across the south-east of England, is one of the leading independent adoption charities in the country. Last year the charity helped transform the lives of 82 children by finding them their forever families.

Adoption@Heart, the regional adoption agency for the Black Country, is appealing for more families to come forward to adopt a child into a safe, loving, and permanent home. Working in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council, Dudley Council, Sandwell Children’s Trust and Walsall Council, it is calling for all those who are considering adoption, or would like some more information, to take the next step and get in touch.

Every year in Wales about 500 young people fall out of the formal care system on reaching the age of 18. It means from that moment they are treated as adults, so no longer necessarily receive the support they had each day as children.

Many feel ill-prepared for adult life and find the prospect of supporting themselves overnight as "scary".