Helpful questions when the agency visits you;
These questions are not exhaustive but cover most of the main areas you need to discuss when deciding which agency to choose to apply to.
How experienced are your supervising social workers?
- Foster carers say that the social worker is their most important support
How good is your training?
- Training is one of the top priorities for foster carers, ask if the agency offers NVQ in fostering
Describe how your 24 hour support works?
- Carers say that they need to feel confident in the agency’s response when they ask for help
What does your Foster Carers Handbook cover?
- Carers find the handbook very useful to check before making some day to day or more important decisions
What support groups do you provide?
- Foster carers value the time with other carers, agencies should have support groups and activities for all the fostering family
Are your carers given membership of Fostering Network?
- Many foster carers have benefited from the extra information and support
Does your agency have placement support workers and access to child health and education specialists?
- Foster carers say that practical help when needed and good access to child care specialists keeps their placements more stable
What are your agency’s arrangements for respite or holidays for foster carers?
- Foster carers say that having the choice to have a paid break from fostering children is very important to them
How much does your agency pay their foster carers?
- Foster carers say that getting the finances clear from the start was very important, so that you can decide if you can afford to foster.
Things to think about.
Before deciding to become a foster carer there are a few things that should be considered.
Along with the training and support provided by the foster care agency, you should also check if you have a personal support system.
A good support system includes friends and family who can support you if times get stressful or when you need some practical help or support.
Also depending on your family situation and personal circumstances, the age group of foster kids you want to foster needs to be considered carefully.
Matching the foster children with each member of your family who live with you is of paramount importance.
Ever child’s needs vary based on their age and understanding.
Flexibility to work with social workers is important as they visit on a regular basis.
Foster carers need to be comfortable communicating with the adult carers of the foster child, as working to some level with the child’s carers will probably be a part the foster child’s care plan.
Take the next step.
“Loving Homes Wanted for Children who Need to be Safe From Even More Harm ”
Contacting us will help you to find the local agencies in Birmingham to choose from with vacancies, on our Simply Fostering Database.
“Become a Foster Carer – Love Your Role in a Child’s Life”
Find out more and to take the next step towards a career as a foster carer in and around Birmingham.
Use our no obligation, free agency matching service by completing our:
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Fostering Blogs
Emma’s Fostering Blog – I Love What I Do!
Did you know?
Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK, there are 30 other places called Birmingham around the world and there’s a crater on the moon with the same name.
Birmingham means home (ham) of the people (ing) of the tribal leader Birm or Beorma and Birmingham’s first canal was opened in 1769.
The city is home to Cadbury’s Chocolate and Victoria Square has one of the largest fountains in Europe, known as ‘The River’. Birmingham’s Bull Ring has been the site of a market for over 800 years and Birmingham’s Centenary Square is made up of more than half a million hand laid bricks!
Fostering Blog | Time Heals
/in Fostering Blogs /by (Ed) Dan RowleyEmma’s fostering blog When you are a foster carer it can be a roller coaster experience with happy and sad times, as you welcome a child into your home you never really know how long they will stay but after a short while they become part of the family and everyone embraces this. Then one […]