Foster children create artwork for Urdd Eisteddfod

A foster carer from north Wales has spoken about the importance of keeping children close to their communities, schools and memories when they enter care.

“Every friend, every teacher, every school, and every home is a loss, and we want to reduce that as much as possible,” foster carer Kirsty Williams explained.

Kirsty, who fosters with Foster Wales Anglesey, said: “It’s important to keep that continuity, so the children don’t experience so much loss.”

Kirsty and her husband started fostering 12 years ago, inspired by Kirsty’s mum who is also a foster carer. They started their fostering journey caring for children on a temporary basis over weekends before they moved onto full-time foster care.

On the benefits of local authority fostering, Kirsty described how it can help foster carers build strong connections with their foster children.

She said: “Our first foster son was from the same town as my husband, so he was able to take him around the town and show him different areas and they connected over memories – separate memories – but memories all the same.”

Kirsty explained that she has had children in her care who she still maintains a relationship with today as they are still in the same local community.

She met up with some of those children, along with her current foster children, at an art workshop at Menai Bridge Cricket Club hosted by Mary Ainsworth, who grew up in foster care.

Talking about her experience, Mary said: “I was five when I went into care. I arrived with the clothes I was wearing and my little bag of colouring pencils, and I’ve never really let go of them to be honest.

“It’s a full circle moment for me; going from being the young artist to being here and delivering the workshop with these children is really special.”

Mary explained that staying in your local area when you enter the care system as a child “gives you an anchor point in your life.”

“You know where you’re from and you still have that familiarity with your surroundings. If you don’t have that, you suddenly feel out of place and you lose those connections if you move away.”

Children at the art workshop were asked to create a piece of work that reminds them of home. The group of 12 children created two canvases that represent pieces of their world, from the dog that they love, neighbours, family, friends, a favourite hobby or place to visit like the beach and the view of the mountains from the window that feels like home.

The artwork made during the workshop will be showcased at the Foster Wales stand and Isle of Anglesey County Council stand at this year’s Eisteddfod yr Urdd in Anglesey from 23 to 29 May.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Wales visit the Foster Wales site here.