Fostering Fortnight is running from the 9th of May until the 22nd of May 2022.

Here at Therapeutic fostering, we have answered some of your questions about fostering.

1. What is Foster Care?

Foster care provides children with a safe, secure and nurturing family environment, and allows them to keep in contact with their own families if they wish and if it is in their best interests.

2. How many children are there in foster care?

At Therapeutic Fostering we are very aware that over 70,000 children are living with almost 56,000 foster families across the UK

3. How many foster carers are needed?

This year The Fostering Network estimates that a further 9,300 foster families are needed in order to ensure all fostered children can live with the right family for them.

4. Where are foster carers needed?

Across the UK fostering agencies work hard to recruit foster carers. Here at Therapeutic fostering, we work across the Northwest of England recruiting carers to meet the needs of children living locally and within are communities

Without enough foster families willing and able to offer homes to these groups, some children will find themselves living a long way from family, school, and friends, being split up from brothers and sisters, or being placed with a foster carer who does not have the ideal skills and experience to meet their specific needs.

5. Who are the children that need to be supported in Foster Care?

Children from birth to 18 years old may need to live in foster care. Often this is due to abuse or neglect. Here at Therapeutic Fostering, we understand that there is a specific shortage of foster carers to meet the needs of teenagers and sibling groups.

6. Who can foster?

Anyone can apply to foster whatever their marital status, religious, cultural or ethnic background. If they are single or part of the LGBTQI+ Community, if they have a disability or medical condition provided it is monitored and will not impact on their ability to care for a child or young person. Some foster carers work, some even reduce their hours or do not work at all choosing to foster as a full-time career.

7. What types of foster carer are there?

Foster carers offer a range of foster care for different children and young people. At therapeutic fostering our foster carers offer a range of placement which can include the following

Emergency

These placements are made at very short notice, often because a referring authority has concerns about the care and safety of the child or young person. A child may need emergency care whilst assessments are undertaken or family members identified that the child could live with, if not with their own parents

Short Term

These placements can last for a few days to a year. Children and young people may not have been in care before, and where assessments are being carried out on their families and presented to the courts so that long term plans can be made. This may include a return home, long term fostering, Special Guardianship (SGO) or adoption.

Long Term

These placements are generally for children and young people where it has been agreed that it would be in their best interests to remain in foster care until they reach 18 years of age or remain with their carers on a Staying Put arrangement.

Respite

Sometimes children placed with foster carers may need support with a respite carer. This allows them and their carers space and time. At Therapeutic Fostering our carers have up to 14 nights respite each year. Not all foster carers will want to use respite, but where families may have limited support the children that they care for will be linked to a respite family.

At Therapeutic Fostering the children and young people we care for are placed with respite carers in a planned way. Respite carers are therefore seen as an extension to the main foster carer’s family.

Short Breaks

These are placements are similar to respite, however they are offered for children and young people who are not in the care of the Local Authority and live at home with their own families but who, due to a disability, require short breaks care with foster carers to support them and their families.

Parent and Child

These are placements with carers who have experience and an interest in supporting and assessing young parents to develop their parenting skills so that they can care for their own children independently in the future. Foster carers therefore play an integral part of the completion of court reports and whether the children can remain with their parents or not.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children or trafficked children

These children may have been separated from their own families. They may have travelled from war torn countries and experienced significant loss. They may have limited understanding of the English language.

Carers need to offer these children and young people a safe and supportive home during what can be a very frightening time.

If you have any further questions about fostering, you can contact us 01772 651427 and speak to one of our friendly team who will answer your questions and email you are “Information for prospective carers information booklet”. Or you can email us at info@therapeuticfostering.co.uk

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