Mansfield art installation helps to give Nottinghamshire foster children family roots

The vinyl image of a family tree was unveiled at a special event at Mansfield Central Library called ‘Foster for Nottinghamshire – giving local children roots’ and serves to boost the council’s fostering recruitment campaign.

The family tree was unveiled by cabinet member for children and families, councillor Tracey Taylor, and Ian Bond, director of learning at Inspire – which delivers the council’s cultural and library services across the county.

They were joined by several foster carers and pupils from Sutton Road Primary and Nursery School in Mansfield, who took part in an activity to draw or write what family means to them on paper leaves which were added to the artwork.

Coun Taylor said: “Fostering recruitment is an all-year round campaign, but fantastic events like this, where we had engagement from schools, foster carers and support workers, bring renewed focus on our work to recruit foster carers and to let people know how important it is that we have them helping us.

“I would like to thank staff and pupils at Sutton Road Primary and Nursery School for their engagement and it was fantastic to see how the children approached the event to support our campaign.

“It was also nice to involve our foster carers because we don’t get chance to see them and say ‘thank you’ often enough for the incredible job they do.”

Library visitors are encouraged to add more paper leaves to the family tree.

Joanne, who was among the group of foster carers who attended the event, has fostered for five years and took up caring for children after visiting an information evening at Mansfield Library.

She currently fosters two small children and has two grown up birth children.

Joanne said: “Nottinghamshire Council has been very supportive. Our supervisor social worker goes out of her way to help.

“She’s always at the other end of the phone if I want something – even if it’s not fostering related, she’s there for us as a family.”

Anyone interested in fostering can get in touch with the Fostering Recruitment Team by calling 0115 804 4440 or emailing [email protected]