Simply Fostering

Fostering in Havering

DO YOU LIVE IN HAVERING?
Have you ever considered foster care?

Simply Fostering is a free online application and national information service, here to help guide you through each step of the fostering process and select the right agency for you.

Being a foster carer means providing a secure, safe environment for a child who needs your support. For many, fostering a child is a career choice, and one which can be deeply rewarding for you and the children you can help.

Is Foster Care for you?

Investing time and energy into looking after a child can be a challenging role, but if you have the patience and flexibility needed to learn and understand a child and their needs, then you are most likely eligible to foster.

As a foster parent, you will need to communicate regularly with social workers, teachers, and your family and friends regarding the foster child. In some cases, you may also be in contact with his or her birth family.

The fostering agency you go through will provide a great deal of support and advice, but having a good support system at home through family and friends is also important, to allow an environment of stability in your care.

While the process can be deeply rewarding, you are also likely to encounter stressful or challenging situations along the way. Being able to manage behaviours of potentially challenging children is an important skill for foster-carers, and the way in which you care for the child may vary depending on their age, gender, and circumstances.

Havering Foster Carer Recruitment

In March 2017, there were 53’420 children in foster-care placements in the UK (Source: The Fostering Network, Foster-Care Statistics, 2016). Many of these children are within the borough of Havering, but many more are still in need of a carer. Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, and other surrounding areas within the borough are looking for foster-carers to accommodate the increasing number of children coming into the care system.

Havering Demography, Population, and History

Havering is the third-largest of the boroughs of London. In mid-2013, there were 242’080 people living in the area over 43 square miles (Source: 12013 Mid-year population estimates, Office of National Statistics).

The borough is also over 50% green-belt (protected) land. It is home to Havering Country Park, Hornchurch Country Park, and Bedfords park, which are enjoyed by riders and birdwatchers as well as the general community.

Romford Town is the largest ward, followed by Brooklands and Squirrel’s Heath. It neighbours Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Redbridge and Essex.

Havering was once known as Havering-atte-bower, a name found in documents dating as far back as the twelfth century. It is a fascinating place with a rich Anglo-Saxon history, and was once reigned by Edward The Confessor. More details on the history of the borough can be seen in Havering Museum, located in Romford town.

The history is also evident in other parts of Romford town, and can be seen in stained glass in the chapel, and Romford Market which is now over 750 years old. Romford has existed as a lively town for hundreds of years, with a historically farming-based trade economy. Now, the town boasts a variety of vibrant shopping centres and entertainment facilities, and the town centre draws in around 21 million shoppers per year (Source: ‘Town Centres Information’, Havering.gov.uk).

Hornchurch is another hub of activity in the borough of Havering, and also has an interesting history.

The town was established around the 12th century in the reign of Henry II, and the population since then has gradually increased into what it is today. Hornchurch Airfield also served as an important station in both the First and Second World Wars. With over 150 shops, a variety of bars and restaurants, and the famous Queen’s theatre, today the town has developed a unique suburban character.

Upminster is another interesting town in the borough, again with an interesting history dating back to around 500BC, and its own set of interesting landmarks such as Upminster Windmill, and the Tithe Barn Museum.

Simply Fostering: Our Service

There are a huge number of fostering agencies in the UK and the support, training, allowances, and other resources they provide can vary. Choosing the right fostering agency for you can have a large effect on your career as a foster-carer, which is why we provide comprehensive, experienced information tailored to you, to help you make the right choice.

Do you have any questions about your eligibility as a foster carer? Employment status, personal history, age, and other factors are all taken into account when your suitability as a carer is assessed. While most people fit the criteria, frequently asked questions regarding eligibility and their answers are available on our website.

Not all foster-care placements are the same, either. Different placement lengths such as respite, short-term, and long-term exist. The physical and mental needs of a child, as well as their circumstances at home, can also affect what type of placement they require.

Simply Fostering provides an insight into the different types of placement that exist and information on the children that come into the fostering system and the type of care they need.

Many people now look at fostering a child as a career. Thousands now earn a comfortable living through providing a safe, nurturing environment for a foster child, and the number keeps going up.

Havering needs foster carers and if you think the role might suit you, now is the time to put your skills to good use. To take the first step, complete our fostering eligibility quiz.

 

Fostering Statistics: London

Total Children in Care, London 2020
Foster Care Placements, London 2020

The following statistics are from the total number of children in care in London, and not exclusively those in Foster Care.

Children with disability : 300
3%
Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers : 1770
18%

No Data Found

No Data Found

Popular Placement Types: As a modern multicultural city, London has large numbers of foster children from Black and Minority Ethnic groups.  As a result, Fostering Agencies seek BME foster carers to give these young people a culturally sensitive supportive base from which to flourish. 

18% of London’s foster care placements are for Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers. A significant number of this group are over 16 years of age and male. 

Related Areas

This related area section is currently being reviewed by our team.

What Could You Earn?

Being a foster carer is not only an ethical career, it's also financially rewarding. Our calculators estimate what you could be earning.

Free Matching Service?

If you meet the UK criteria to foster. we will match you with a local Fostering Agency and ask them to call you.
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UK Wide Fostering Network

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If you live in the UK… We’ve got you covered.
We cover the length and breadth of the UK with our unique Agency Network. Finding an Agency near you and supporting your move into foster caring.

 

Did you Know - Havering?

Havering is the third-largest borough in London. Over half of the borough is covered by green belt countryside. The borough of Havering has the lowest unemployment rate in Greater London (2.6%). 250,000 people visit Romford Town Centre in Havering every week!

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