"Hey guys! My name is Becca. I'm sixteen years old, I'm at college, I'm in foster care (and have been since I was little) and I'm the chair of the Children in Care Council. It is my job to make sure that managers who make decisions about Bristol's children in care listen to OUR voices on the things that matter to us. So if you've got something important to say and you want the Children in Care Council to discuss your issue; don't just keep it to yourself, get in touch. I hope you like the website."
The children in Care Council are a group of 10- 15 teenagers that meet once a month to talk about the issues that matter to children in care. What they discuss is recorded, sometimes on paper and sometimes on film and sent to 'The Corporate Parenting Panel'. This is a group of top managers from all over Bristol City Council who make important decisions about the lives of all children in care.
Becca and the other CiCC members are vital in making sure that important issues are raised and the decisions made about how children in care are treated are the right decisions. It is not an easy job and they do it for you! The Corporate Parenting Panel then discuss the issues that Becca and the gang have raised and write back, saying what they are going to do about the problems and outlining their plans of how to solve any issues. The adults and children get together once every six months or so to discuss how to make things better for everyone.
"The last time we met with senior managers was in September 2009 for the Children in Care Council's 1st Birthday. Here is a picture of me with Annie Hudson, who is the big boss of all Children's Services in Bristol."
To look at the a document listing the main aims and ambitions of the CiCCouncil click here.
The Children in Care Council does a lot of different things as well as the monthly meeting and you can see a full explanation of the projects we have been involved with by visiting the 'What have we done for you lately?' page and future projects will be detailed on Becca's Blog or featured in the 'News' section of this website. A very instant example of what the CiCC has done is the website you are looking at right now.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
The Cat in the Hat.
