What is fostering?

Foster carers provide safe, positive, and nurturing homes to children who, for a variety of different reasons, are not able to live with their family. Foster carers provide individualised day-to-day care, including, getting them to school and back, helping with their education and any other activities they enjoy.

Children who require a foster home will, most often, remain at their present school or nursery (if relevant) as often teachers or key workers are prominent and positive role models in children’s lives. Remaining in these familiar settings, with their friends, provides them with a level of consistency and stability.

Many children who require foster care, have at least one brother or sister and we always look at ways to keep them together when it is in their best interests. Sometimes depending on age/gender/ other factors, siblings can share a room. However, it is not appropriate for children coming into the fostering household to share a room with a child who is not their sibling.

In addition, foster carers support children to see their family members and transport to other appointments as needed. These are most often within the city boundary and we look to match children with foster carers who can undertake these tasks as part of their fostering role.

Foster carers are considered a crucial part of the team caring for children and are involved not only in decisions regarding the children, but also in how our services are delivered and improved. We actively involve our foster carers in helping us to constantly improve our services for the children and families we work with.

Foster carers are self-employed for their fostering role. Due to specific taxation arrangements for foster carers, the income for fostering rarely results in tax being payable and is disregarded for most benefits too. We can signpost you to up-to-date information regarding this.

It doesn't matter what a person's background is - married, single, gay, straight, home-owner or not - what matters is that foster carers can be understanding, can see things from the child's perspective and be prepared to advocate and support the children  and, despite any challenges that they may need to overcome, can recognise the potential in a child.

Sarah, Social Worker