What is Fostering?
Fostering is opening your home to provide a safe place for a child or young person in need of understanding, love, care and support. It’s not always easy. The child you’re caring for will often see things very differently from you and may resist your attempts to reach out to them.
The challenge of fostering is to keep building those bridges so that you can provide the stable family environment that all children need to feel safe and secure.
The length of time a child will stay with a Foster Carer will depend on their individual circumstances. It could be for just a few nights, or placements can be made until a child reaches the age of 18 and is ready for independence.
Can I Foster?
There are many misconceptions about fostering. None of them should stop you from enquiring. The only essential practical requirement for becoming a Foster Carer is that you have a spare bedroom.
If you’re thinking about becoming a Foster Carer you’re likely to have lots of questions. Those we’re most frequently asked are below. If you’d like to ask any more, simply use the quick enquiry form and a member of the Fostering Team will get in touch.
What Makes a Foster Family?
A foster family is just like any other. It provides a shoulder to cry on when times are hard, and someone to laugh and celebrate with when life is good. Its members speak the truth, even when the truth is hard to hear. And it offers the love, forgiveness and support we all need to grow, learn and become better people.
Types of fostering
SHORT-TERM
A temporary placement whilst future plans for the child / young person(s) are confirmed. Often, the placements have little advanced warning and can last from a few days to a few months.
LONG-TERM
Usually a pre-planned placement where a child or young person joins a foster carers family, and receives a stable home environment until they are ready to be independent
SOLO CARE
Solo care is providing care for an individual child. This child needs one on one attention, and often requires a two parent family.
SHORT BREAKS
Providing a regular break for a disabled child, giving parents or foster carers a break from the day to day care and responsibilities.
Specialisms
DISABILITY & COMPLEX NEEDS
Our specialist social workers support our carers to provide care for children with a wide range of disabilities.
MENTAL HEALTH
Fostering children with mental health needs requires support to the foster carers to understand children and young people’s needs and working with specialist mental health support services to achieve this.
CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
Fostering a child who is vulnerable to sexual exploitation and who displays inappropriate sexualised behaviour. Progress offers specialist training to support children and young people in this area.
THERAPEUTIC FOSTER CARE
Our therapeutic social workers empower and enable foster carers to work therapeutically with children and young people.
PARENT & BABY
A stable, safe and supportive family life which promotes and nurtures the parental skills of a young parent and their baby.
Fostering FAQ's
If you’re thinking about becoming a Foster Carer. you’re likely to have lots of questions. To help you, we’ve created a list of our most frequently asked questions below – you can click on each question to open it and find out more information. To see more, visit our dedicated Fostering FAQs page.
A ‘specialist foster carer’ is a term used to describe someone who cares for a child with one or more of the following issues:
- Learning disabilities, Physical disabilities and other medical conditions
- Children with poor mental health
- Children who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation
- Children who display emotional and behavioural difficulties
Progress welcomes professionals from the health and social care sector who can offer specialist care because of their professional experience.
Many of our current specialist foster carers did not have the skills and experience initially. Progress will offer the right training programmes and support to enable you to improve and widen your skills so that you can offer specialist care.
The length of the assessment is completely dependent on you and how flexible you can be in terms of attending the initial training course and attending appointments with your designated social worker. We normally suggest around 6 months from enquiry through to panel but it can take up to 8 months.
Yes. Progress pay a very competitive package for each child placed with you. The amount varies dependent on the age and skills required for each child. Specialist care attracts a higher reward due to the additional demands of the child. Children who have additional needs also have allocated support packages in addition to their monthly maintenance payment.
This will depend on your individual circumstances, the type of fostering you wish to consider and the flexibility your employment can offer. Specialist foster care requires at least one full-time carer at home. All types of foster care require you to transport a child to and from school and to attend various meetings with professionals. If you’re unsure, contact us for a more in-depth discussion.
As a foster carer, you are self-employed. Foster carers benefit from generous tax relief. During the assessment process, you would still be entitled to benefits but would need to continue looking for employment if this is a requirement of the job-centre.
No. The only requirement for becoming a foster carer is that you have a spare bedroom. However, if you are renting a property we require written permission from your landlord giving permission to foster in their property.
It is not essential to have parenting skills prior to becoming a foster carer. However, knowledge and experience of looking after children will need to be proven during the assessment process and this can be evidenced if you have previously worked with children or have a wide range of experience in caring for family members. Progress can also offer extensive training in order for you to up-skill in areas that may be required.
Do you have any other questions about Fostering?
Fill in this quick enquiry form and one of our friendly team will call you back within two working days to discuss your enquiry.
Come and meet us
Would you like to come and talk to us, why not drop by one of our events, check the calendar below to find an event near you:
There are currently no events planned, if you would like to find out more or ask us a question, please send us a message on the form opposite.
“It’s been brilliant, you don’t realise that they are ticking things off as you go along”
Trina Monington-Tennant
