Tredegar home for disabled children opened

A NEW “home from home” to provide respite care for disabled children in Blaenau Gwent opened in Tredegar this week.

Barnardo’s Cymru foster carers Susan Brittain and Michael Bond will open up their new five-bedroom home to provide care for eight disabled young people who will go for regular visits and overnight stays.

The scheme run by Barnardo’s Cymru, Blaenau Gwent council and United Welsh Housing Association, is a chance for the children to make friends and enjoy leisure time with another family and allow their parents to have a break.

The new home has been specially-adapted with wheelchair accessible wide doorways, a downstairs bedroom and bathroom, a hoist for lifting and a flat, lawned garden.

Susan and her partner Michael, have been foster carers for the past five years. They started fostering because of their love of children and say they are glad to be involved with the project.

Ms Brittain said: “It is very exciting. The house will give the children a different kind of experience, we have got special equipment and they will benefit from it and their families will benefit from it too.”

Blaenau Gwent council’s executive member for social services said: “We are very proud to support this great scheme.

“The initiative means parents are able to take a well-earned break and spend vital quality time with the rest of their families, while their disabled child is cared for with another family.”