Becoming a Foster Carer

Our foster care service provides safe, caring homes for children and young people who for various reasons are not able to live with their birth families. There is always a demand for our services, which means we are always ready to welcome new carers.

Looking after vulnerable and sometimes confused young people is not the easiest thing in the world but the rewards can be immeasurable.  Knowing that you are making a difference to a young persons life is very fulfilling. That is what keeps our carers dedicated to fostering.

What is fostering?

In brief, fostering involves looking after a young person in the foster carer’s home.  This may be for a short period whilst things are sorted out at home or for a longer period depending upon the situation. In some cases a young person may remain in foster care for the rest of their childhood.

Not only do foster carers support the young person but they also work in partnership with the young person's family, school, health professionals and social workers.

Who are we looking for?

Foster Carers come from all walks of life and backgrounds: couples, families and single people from all ethnic backgrounds and ages. Young people coming into foster care show their distress in a variety of ways and to be effective in helping them you need to have patience, understanding and resourcefulness.  Your personal qualities are more important to us than your age, experience or qualifications.

You’ll be:

• Over 21.
• Tolerant, patient and flexible with lots of common sense.
• In good health.
• Willing to work closely with the Trust and other agencies e.g. social work, education and health services.
• Have a sense of humour.
• Be available full-time in order to supervise young people excluded from school or ill etc and be able to attend all necessary meetings.
• Willing to undertake training and to attend support group meetings.
• Interested and committed to providing good quality care to young people and to helping them to achieve their potential.

What accommodation do I need?

Foster carers may either own or rent their homes.  They may live in a flat or a house.  It is essential for the young person you foster to have a room of their own with the exception of siblings who may prefer to share a bedroom.

Why young people are in foster care?

Young people are looked after by the Trust for many different reasons, such as:

• Parent’s abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
• Parental physical or mental health problems
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Physical or emotional neglect
• Family relationship difficulties
• Bereavement
• Offending
• Or sometimes the young person’s behaviour has become too difficult for their parents or other carers to manage.