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| Interested
in Fostering ? |
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| Below
are some frequently asked questions and answers. If you would like to
talk to someone about becoming a foster parent please do not hesitate
to give us a call, or alternatively you can download the application
form below and send the completed form to us. |
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| A
Foster Carer Application Form can be obtained Here |
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Feel
free to email any questions you may have Here |
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| 5. What does the financial help cover ? | |
| 6. What sort of information do we get about children ? | |
| 7. What sort of checks do you do on me and my home ? | |
| 8. What past convictions prevent me from fostering ? | |
| 9. Does a foster child have to have a room of their own ? | |
| 10. Do I get help if I'm finding it hard to cope ? | |
| 11. I'm going to be the foster carer - so does my husband have to be assessed ? | |
| 12. Am I permitted to smack children ? | |
| 13. Who has responsibility for taking children to the dentists or doctors ? | |
| 14. Will it cost me anything to foster ? | |
| 15. Will I get support if a child has special needs through illness or through disability ? | |
1.
The training course takes place over five or six weeks, generally on
one evening a week. It is very informal - there are no written tests,
and no end exam. The majority of carers feel apprehensive about the
course initially, but find it enjoyable and very helpful, especially
to meet other people in the same position as themselves. Most work during
the sessions is in the form of groupwork, roleplay and discussion, with
generally no more than twelve people in a group. |
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2.
No, but we would need to check that you have enough room to accommodate
a foster child, and also that your mother is happy with the arrangement.
It is important to be aware that foster children can display some difficult
behaviour that is likely to cause disruption in your home. We would
also need to carry out a police check on her, or any other adult living
in your house. |
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3.
We do not discriminate against anyone because of their age, and many
of our carers have grandchildren of their own. Everyone is considered
on their own merits, and in fact more mature people are often better
suited to taking in some of our older teenagers, or our more difficult
children, because of their relevant experience. |
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4.
When you are approved to foster, you decide what type of fostering suits
you best, and this includes whether you prefer short or longer term
care. It is up to you to decide if you want to include a time limit
to any placement, but you need to be aware that it isn't always possible
to know when a child will be able to move on, either to return home
or on to another arrangement. You will never be forced to take a child
against your will, and if you have agreed a date for a placement to
end, then, assuming nothing happens to affect this date, arrangements
will be made for them to move on. |
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5.
You will receive a weekly allowance for each child fostered, and this
is intended to cover living costs such as food, basic travel, household
bills and other minor miscellaneous costs. Occasionally, extra contributions
can be made available, for example for a new school uniform, or a birthday
present. |
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6.
We try to provide you with as much information as we can on a child,
prior to placing them with you. This can include recent family history
the reason for needing a foster home likes and dislikes, and any difficult
behaviour. This enables you to decide whether you think the placement
would be appropriate, and may also help you to understand the child's
behaviour and how to manage it. One of the more difficult aspects of
fostering is that we don't always have a great deal of information about
children, especially in an emergency, and in some circumstances, information
may need to remain confidential. |
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7.
As well as carrying out police checks for previous convictions, we also
carry out checks with the Probation Service, the Health Service, the
Education Department and a register which lists those people prevented
from working with children. We carry out standard safety checks on your
home. These include having smoke alarms, and, for those fostering younger
children, that safety glass is used and that garden ponds or streams
are not accessible. |
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8.
Previous convictions will not necessarily disqualify you from fostering.
They are something that you would need to discuss with us as early as
possible, and depending on the nature of your conviction(s) and when
they occurred, we will then come to a decision about whether they affect
your application to foster. It is standard for us to check for a police
record as part of any fostering application, and we remind you of this
at an early stage, which gives you the opportunity to tell us about
any past convictions, however minor they may be. Please rest assured
that this information remains confidential at all times. |
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9.
Not necessarily, we are happy for young children, or children of the
same sex to share a room, and sometimes this can feel more reassuring
for a child, and help to build relationships with your own children.
An important part of our assessment, however, is to check that your
own children are both happy about the family fostering, and also sharing
their room and perhaps their toys with foster children. |
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10.
Yes, we encourage you to tell us if you are finding things difficult.
Your fostering worker will be at the end of a phone to offer any advice
and help (or even just to have a chat) and will also try to visit regularly
when you have a placement. We would much rather you tell us when there
is a problem or you are having difficulty coping with a childs behaviour,
or perhaps your own childrens behaviour during a foster placement. While
every foster child has their own Social Worker who will make regular
visits to your home, your fostering worker is there to support you. |
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11.
Yes, because even if you see yourself as the main carer, your husband
shares your home and will also have involvement and influence in the
fostering placement. We regard any couple living together as partners
in the fostering task, and so require that you both have the necessary
checks, training and assessment. This includes finding out a bit about
how effectively you work together as a team, such as whether you share
views on discipline, or whether you react to stress in different ways. |
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12.
Corporate punishment is not an acceptable form of discipline, both for
this Local Authority and under the National Standards for Foster Care.
This includes smacking, slapping and shaking. There are other very effective
ways of disciplining children and we do give you training and on-going
advice about this. |
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13.
Normally, we would expect you to accompany children for medical check-ups,
although if this is a problem for you, you can discuss it with your
foster childs social worker and alternative arrangements will be made. |
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| 14. The weekly allowance that your receive for each child you foster should cover all basic living costs and items such as pocket-money. If you find that you are not coping, or a particular items needs to be purchased, this is something that you need to discuss with the childs social worker. | |
15.
Yes, we want to make sure that you feel able to cope with any demands
that your foster placement may bring, and our role is to support you
whenever necessary. If a child has on-going medical needs, this will
be made clear to you at the start of a placement, and all relevant issues
will be covered to ensure that you are given any assistance necessary.
If you are fostering a child with a disability, special support form
the Child Disability Team will be provided to help you. Medical needs
can vary from asthma or allergies to more severe conditions where specialist
equipment or training may need to be provided. |
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A
Foster Carer Application Form can be obtained Here |
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Feel
free to email any questions you may have Here |
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| © Hythe House Support Ltd |  |