Fostering frequently asked questions
- What is fostering?
- Why do children need foster care?
- How long do children stay?
- What kind of children need foster care?
- Do foster children see their family?
- How are children placed?
- What sort of help do foster carers get?
- Could I be a foster carer?
- How do I become a foster carer?
- What will I get out of fostering?
What is fostering?
Fostering is a way of providing family life for children who cannot live with their own parents. It involves looking after someone else's child or teenager in your own home and working closely with the local authority and the child's family.
Why do children need foster care?
Children and young people usually need to be looked after because of problems at home.
Sometimes the family is in crisis, for example, because of ill health or bereavement. It could be that one parent is ill and the other can't cope with the family.
Perhaps the care given to the children is poor, or places them in danger. Some parents may have problems with drugs or alcohol and need time and space to try to sort out their difficulties.
Some parents find it hard to cope with the stress of their child's teenage years.
Other parents are very young themselves and have no family support to help them. Single parents may find it hard to bring up children alone.
In families where a child or parent has a disability they sometimes need a break from each other.
How long do children stay?
Local authorities have a legal responsibility to try to return children to their own families wherever possible. In most cases, children return home after a few days, weeks or months. However, complicated problems at home may take a longer time to sort out.
Short term fostering is when children stay with you until plans are made and carried out, however long it takes.
Long term fostering is when for whatever reason, children are unable to return to their birth family. For some the plan will be adoption but others will need a permanent foster family to care for them until they are old enough to look after themselves. Some people prefer long term fostering rather than the comings and goings of short term.
Short break fostering gives support to families who are under stress, but don't need their children looked after full time. Many families with disabled children find short break care invaluable to give them time to recharge their batteries or simply spend time with their other children. Children are linked with a foster carer and stay with them regularly, perhaps one or two weekends a month. Short break fostering is a bit like children going to stay with grandparents or aunts and uncles. Quite often people who work full time are interested in this type of fostering because it fits in with the rest of their lives.
Foster carers don't always do just one sort of fostering. Many of our foster carers combine different sorts of fostering. Anything is possible and we will help you work out what is best for you.
What kind of children need foster care?
Foster children are just ordinary children. The only difference is that they may have experienced difficulties in their own families.
Children of all ages, from very young babies to young adults need to be looked after by foster carers.
Often, people think that fostering only involves young children, but teenagers need foster carers too. Foster carers can help teenagers gain independence and listen to their problems when they need someone to talk to.
Some children may have been physically or sexually abused or neglected. Children who have had disrupted lives can be very demanding but foster carers find it very rewarding to see the progress they make when someone cares about them.
When children have been living in difficult family situations the relationship between brothers and sisters can be particularly important and we try to keep them together. We are always keen to hear from people who can help us to do this.
Children of all races, religions and cultures need foster care. Whenever possible we try to place children with foster carers who share their racial, religious and cultural background.
Do foster children see their family?
Children in foster care need to know that their own family and friends still care about them. Foster carers have a crucial part to play in helping children keep in touch with their families and other people who are important to them. Parents also need to be reassured that their child is being properly cared for.
Arrangements for contact are sorted out as quickly as possible, taking into account the foster carers own commitments.
Contact may take place at the foster home, the family home or a Social Services Office, depending upon the circumstances.
How are children placed?
We try to plan ahead when children need to leave their family. Ideally children, parents and foster carers all meet with the social worker so everyone can get to know each other and arrangements can be made.
Sometimes we ring short-term carers and ask if they can take a child or children that same day if there is a crisis. Some short-term carers also volunteer to take emergency placements in the evenings, during the night or at weekends.
What sort of help do foster carers get?
Fostering can be hard work but satisfying. All foster carers have their own social worker, called a family placement social worker, who will visit regularly to offer advice and support. Children in foster care have their own social worker who will visit and talk with them regularly and will also talk to you about their progress. We will make sure that you know about the support available for children in your care like STARLAC (psychological support for looked after children) and health and education workers.
New foster carers sometimes have a family placement support worker to help them in the first few months. These workers can also offer day-to-day support and practical advice to existing foster carers.
There are regular support groups where you have the chance to meet up with other foster carers. You can also join the Foster Care Association which offers advice and support.
We arrange regular training for foster carers to help them develop the skills they need. Some foster carers decide to work towards formal qualifications in foster care, e.g. NVQ.
Foster carers receive an allowance for each child to cover day-to-day expenses. Extra allowances are also payable for clothing, holidays, Christmas and birthdays. You will also receive a reward payment which can increase as you become a more experienced foster carer and attend our training programme.
We supply beds, bedding and baby equipment and you will have access to our toy library.
Could I be a foster carer?
The answer is most probably yes. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that you don't need any particular qualifications or experience to apply for fostering. There are no upper age limits. It doesn't matter whether you're married, single living together, divorced, separated, gay or straight, employed or unemployed.
All applications are treated with equal fairness. What is most important is that you have a mature, responsible attitude and enough energy to look after children.
How do I become a foster carer?
Before becoming a foster carer, you need to know as much as possible about what it will mean for you and your family.
Having read this and decided you want to know more, you can complete the enquiry form or phone us on 0161 799 1268 and we will send you an information pack and ask you to complete the enquiry form. On receiving the enquiry form a member of our team will ring you to get some brief information. We will then visit you at home. This will allow you to find out more about the process of becoming a foster carer and to ask any questions you may have e.g. you may have questions about how your personal circumstances will be viewed. Please be sure to ask about anything you are anxious about. Often people exclude themselves for reasons when they needn't, so you may be pleasantly surprised!
You will have the opportunity to talk to a foster carer to find out at first hand what fostering is all about.
After the visit we will invite you to attend an 'Introduction to Foster Care' course with others who are interested in fostering. These take place one evening a week over six or seven sessions. A lot of information is shared during the meetings to help you decide if fostering is right for you and your family.
Few of us would let our children stay with anyone unless we knew and trusted them. Parents of children who need foster care don't have the opportunity to get to know carers personally, so have to trust that Children's Services make sure that foster carers are suitable to look after other people's children and can cope with the demands of fostering.
For this reason foster carers go through a period of preparation during which we assess your abilities as a potential foster carer.
We will ask you to nominate people who know you well as personal referees.
You will also be asked to have a medical with your own doctor. You don't have to be in perfect health but we do need to be sure that fostering will not affect your health.
We also do checks with other agencies such as the Criminal Record Bureau. Having a police record does not necessarily prevent you from becoming a foster carer. Only certain offences bar people from fostering, usually offences against children or sexual offences. In other cases we will discuss offences with you and balance these against the other personal qualities and skills you bring to fostering.
We need to get to know as much about you as possible so that at the end of the process everyone is certain that fostering is the right thing for you. A family placement social worker will visit you and your family at home several times to talk to you about your life experiences and expectations of fostering.
We know this sounds rather daunting but we try to keep the process as simple and quick as possible and are happy to answer questions or concerns at any time. We will always tell you if there are any problems and you will be shown any reports written about you.
What will I get out of fostering?
Fostering can be demanding but also satisfying and rewarding.
Foster carers are ordinary people who feel they would like to give something to children who need their help. They see the value of fostering in the progress made by the children they care for, and the help they can give the children's families.
Foster carers tell us that fostering becomes a way of life.
Who to contact
- Name
- Family Placement Team
- Address
- Salford City Council
First Floor
Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5DA
Map to this location - Telephone
- 0161 799 1268
- family.recruitment@salford.gov.uk
This page was last updated on 5 January 2012
