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In the damp conditions the beacon is finally alight after a couple of attempts
Dorchester from The Keep
Queen Mother Square
Poundbury Fountain
Dorchester Borough Gardens
Custom House Quay, Weymouth, England
Chesil Beach from Portland
The area north of Dorchester
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Thomas Hardy statue
Keep Military Museum 4
Dorset Museum front exterior 270522
Shire Hall front
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The Community Radio Station covering Central-Southern Dorset, run by volunteers and not-for-profit

More fun-filled days to come for Dorset’s foster families

Following the success of a fun-filled day in February for Dorset’s fostering community, Dorset Council’s Youth Voice team, alongside the Virtual School and Fostering team, will be planning more of these whole-family events throughout the year to make sure there is something for everyone to take part in.

The recent event took place during half term at the South West Regional Assessment Centre (SWRAC), near Dorchester, and was a great success, with 18 families in attendance – made up of 21 adult carers and 37 children and young people.

The children ranged in age from just six weeks old, all the way through to 17 years old, and included a mix of foster carers, their birth children and the children and young people in their care.

The day started with a scavenger hunt, followed with kite flying, arts, crafts and clay, and pizza making at lunchtime. The children and young people were able to enjoy and engage with nature, with some even taking the resident goats and donkeys for a stroll.

The primary focus of the day was on relationship-building and carefree fun for the children and young people, whilst creating an opportunity for the families to connect with each other in-person.

The event enabled the team to build trust with the younger members of the fostering community and gave them an opportunity to share ‘what they feel makes a good foster carer’. This valuable feedback has been collected and will go on to help shape the recruitment of Dorset Council’s future foster carers.

Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, said:

“Family days like this are so important because not only did it give our fostering community a chance to build relationships with each other, it gave us a valuable opportunity to hear directly from those being fostered.

“So much fun was had by all and the feedback we’ve received has been really positive. I was delighted to be invited to come along and join in the activities and we look forward to holding more events like this for our families throughout the year.”

A member of the fostering community who attended the day, said; “Thank you for a wonderful day, we really enjoyed it. It was my first experience of a ‘fostering gathering’ and I hope there will be many more”

Foster in Dorset photo