Fostering is both challenging and rewarding. It is an opportunity to make a real difference to a child who has faced difficulties in their life.
Foster carers care for children who cannot safely remain at home and whose parents or relatives are unable to care for them. Children and young people are accommodated in emergencies but more often on a planned basis.
Children and young people who are accommodated have a wide variety of needs. Their experience of family life has often been chaotic and centred around the adult’s needs or difficulties. They will have had inconsistent, unstable, often abusive, experiences. They may have been exposed to violence, crime, drugs and alcohol abuse or left with inappropriate adults. Parents may have addiction or mental health difficulties.
Foster care can therefore be a child’s first experience of a stable child-centred routine with consistent rules and expectations which can lead to the child feeling distressed and confused.
The task of the foster carer is therefore to:
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offer physical and emotional care to a child on behalf of the local authority
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meet the individual needs of any child in their care
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work collaboratively with social workers and other agencies involved in the child’s life
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work in partnership with parents
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enable and support contact between a child and their parents
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attend meetings regarding the child
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attend Children’s Hearings in relation to the child
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contribute to the assessment of the child’s needs with other professionals
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help the child express their wishes/feelings
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ensure the child has relevant medical/dental checks
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support the child to achieve an education in collaboration with schools and specialist services
You can download our leaflets on short-term and respite fostering (PDF, 191KB)| and long-term fostering and adoption (PDF, 195KB)| for more information.