‘I Believe’ Birth Children of Foster Carers launches new art exhibition in Naas Library

A new art exhibition from the ‘I Believe’ group is now running at Naas Library. The exhibition opened on Thursday, October 17 last and will continue up to and including Thursday, October 24. 

The ‘I Believe’ group was created back in 2016 in the Kildare/West Wicklow Area to provide support and recognition the Birth Children of Foster Carers. The group uses art, social activities and other forms of communications to build on the group members’ strengths and values, and to help them grow socially and emotionally, and to believe in themselves. They also have a strong ethos at the core of their group to represent the birth child of Foster Families within the Fostering journey and experience. 

Birth children of foster parents play a significant role in the Fostering experience and the ‘I Believe’ group allows these children to come together to discuss their lives and share their experiences.

The new exhibition features: Individual Pieces of Art that each Group Member created to represent “Fostering – my thoughts and feelings”.

One of the young people involved in ‘I Believe’ expressed their fostering experience as the birth child of foster parents: 

“Being a birth child of parents who foster is a beautiful thing to be involved in. I am grateful to be put in a position where I get to help others and watch children grow into a young person who can then have a better chance in life.

 “Sometimes when children come they need to learn all the basic skills that many people already know. Foster families give children the opportunity to learn these skills and develop the skills further over time.

“The only part of fostering that upsets me is when the children have to leave, although I know it is a good thing to see them go back to their family, or go to another loving foster family.”

 ‘I Believe’ are recipients of the Investing in Children Membership Award, which recognises initiatives that give children a voice, space, audience and influence to ensure their full participation.

The Group is supported by Tusla Child and Youth Participation Seed Funding.