Apply for Fostering in Barking and Dagenham
Could you foster a child in the Barking and Dagenham area?
Find the best agencies. Simply Fostering is qualified to help you take the first steps to become a foster carer. Our registered social workers, with over 30 years of experience working in the UK fostering, can provide you with the information needed regarding the application process, as well as an insight into other aspects of life as a carer. Wondering which agency you are best suited to? We can help find the best fostering agency in Barking and Dagenham for you.
If you have a spare room and live in the area, you could be putting your extra space to good use. Many children around the UK are in need of a caring, responsible individual or family to take them into a safe environment, and right now fostering agencies in Barking and Dagenham are in particular need.
Am I eligible to apply for fostering in Barking and Dagenham?
I’m single, can I still foster a child? Am I too old? Am I qualified to foster a child? These are all common questions people have about their eligibility to foster, and people’s expectations are often far from reality.
Fostering agencies in Barking and Dagenham will have to carry out an assessment of your suitability to care, however, a wide range of people can become foster carers. While age, relationship status, and employment flexibility are all factors that need to be considered, having a strong support network at home and having the dedication to care for a child is equally important. On our website, you can access information on the eligibility criteria of foster-carers, as well as frequently asked questions and their answers.
Why do children go into care?
There are a variety of reasons a child might enter the care system, and often it is a combination of factors that mean they enter foster-care. The majority of the time, children wind up in foster-care as a result of abuse or neglect from their birth parents or current guardians.
Neglect of a child’s basic needs is the most common form of child abuse, and is something many children have had to deal with before entering the care-system. In fact, 1 in 10 children has experienced neglect at home at some point in their lives. The term encompasses a range of things all linked to deprivation of a child’s basic needs. Common examples include a lack of food or clothing or a lack of protection from emotional or physical harm.
Another reason commonly associated with foster care is physical abuse. Many children are unfortunate enough to be born into a family in which physical abuse is a common theme in their upbringing. It is often seen in severe cases, with a serious injury caused as a means of discipline. Sexual abuse and emotional abuse are also things that a child may have been exposed to before entering the care system.
Barking and Dagenham are no exception to statistics such as these. There are children in the area who have not been so lucky as to escape this mistreatment at home. By choosing to foster a child, you can provide the stability and support that a child needs having been raised under conditions like these.
About Barking and Dagenham
There were about 210’711 people living in this borough of London in June 2017 (source: Office for National Statistics, Population estimates UK: Mid 2017), coming from a range of ethnic groups. Over 57’000 of these people are children, and included in that number are children who need a foster carer.
The borough of Barking and Dagenham borders Newham to the west, Bexley and Greenwich to the south, and both Havering and Redbridge to the north. The borough also contains 530 hectares of Metropolitan Green Belt land and is an area undergoing injection of funding and efforts for development in the community.
Barking Town is the largest district of the borough. It has an interesting history as a town dependent on the fishing industry from the 14th to the 19th century, at which point a steady period of industrial development turned the town into what it is today.
Fostering in Barking and Dagenham: Why SimplyFostering?
There is a huge amount to consider when taking the steps to foster a child, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of different information available online. At SimplyFostering we walk you through the process step by step.
From the qualities a foster-carer needs to the type of placements out there- we provide professional advice which puts both your needs and the needs of the child first. There are also many fostering agencies in Barking and Dagenham to choose from- SimplyFostering can help you make the right choice. Do you have questions regarding the pay for fostering in Barking and Dagenham? While it should not be the primary motive, the allowances for fostering a child are a major factor- take a look at our website for more information.
Barking and Dagenham needs carers. If you think it’s time to make a big difference to someone else’s life, and want a positive, exciting change in yours, then contact us today. Complete our, online fostering eligibility quiz to start the ball rolling. Our team will match you with up to 3 suitable agencies.
Apply for fostering in Barking and Dagenham today!
