 Who can be a foster carer?
Almost anyone can apply, provided they have the core qualities
we seek. We have different types of fostering suitable for carers
from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, whether in a
partnership (of the same or different gender) or single and with or
without children at home.
We adhere to an anti-discriminatory policy and practice, which
promotes equal opportunities for all and values diversity of both
foster children and carers regardless of gender, sexual
orientation, ethnic background, age, religious beliefs, disability
or marital status with or without children at home.
You will need to have:
- A real interest in helping local children and their
families
- Time to spare, from regular weekends to full time
- Energy and enthusiasm
- A secure and stable home environment (though you don't need to
be a homeowner)
- A spare bedroom for a foster child, who must have a room of
their own (unless your interest is in
day fostering)
Other qualities needed are:
- patience, resilience, understanding and emotional
strength,
- good communication and negotiation skills.
- self-confidence and good literacy skills as you will need to be
able to keep written records of your foster child's day-to-day life
and to help them focus on their educational targets. You will need
to take part in meetings from time to time and may sometimes be
required to attend Court hearings.
Protecting children
Naturally it is vital that we give full protection to the
children we are looking after - and so we carry out careful
assessments of all applicants. This applies particularly where
people have criminal convictions and not all applicants may be
deemed suitable for providing foster care.
We do have a no smoking policy for those who foster a child
under five years of age - and recommend that all carers looking
after children of any age seek to avoid smoking if possible.
Children come first
These might seem daunting requirements but the social workers
looking after the interests of fostered children need to ensure
that the children receive the best care and support possible,
including meeting their educational and health needs.
We value our foster carers and appreciate their
role
We do all that we can to ensure our foster carers are able to
offer our high standards of care. We offer guidance and support, so
carers can give what is expected of them. We will provide you with
a wide variety of courses and workshops to help you get started -
or recommend other experiences you could try to prepare for
fostering at a later date.
Do you feel you have what it takes to foster ?
To find out more and receive an information pack please phone
our Advisors on 0845 330 2968 or email your
details using the link on the left entitled "contact us" and we
will respond to your enquiry.
Thinking about Adoption and Fostering
pamphlet
Copies of the pamphlet entitled "Thinking about Adoption and
Fostering?" are available in Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi and Urdu. If
you would like a copy please
email us your details
and tell us which version you would prefer - this link will open in
a new window.
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