Fostering - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between fostering and adoption?
Adoption is a legal process by which parental responsibility for a child is permanently and irrevocably transferred from birth parents to adoptive parents. Fostering is different. Foster carers always share the responsibility for looking after a child with social services, and do not become the child's parent legally. Fostering can be a temporary way of looking after a child until he or she can return to a birth family, or it can be a permanent arrangement.
What different kinds of fostering do Catholic Caring Services offer?
We have foster carers who offer a range of placements:
Long term - this is for children who cannot return to their birth parents, but for whom adoption is not thought to be in their best interests.
Short term - this is for children who need looking after temporarily, perhaps at times of crisis and stress in the birth family. This may be for a period of weeks or months.
Bridging - our foster carers work with children to prepare them for moving on, perhaps to adoption, independence, or back home.
Respite care - a support resource for parents or other foster carers of children with special needs.
Mother and baby - a special support where foster carers offer a supportive home to both mother and her child to help to nurture the bonding or simply to provide a supportive short term and safe environment.
Do children in foster care see their birth families?
Yes, in most cases children will have some regular contact with members of their family, including parents, grandparents, or siblings living elsewhere. It is very important for foster carers to help children with this contact, when this is thought to be in the child's best interests.
Will there be financial help?
Yes, our foster carers receive an allowance which covers the cost of caring for a child, including clothing, food, holidays and activities. We can send you a list of these allowances, which vary depending on the age of the child.
Who can become a Foster Carer?
Our foster carers come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some are married, some are single; some live in houses, some in flats. You do not need to own your own home, or be well off, but you do need to have enough space to offer children their own bedroom, and, of course, space in which to play.
We welcome applications from people of all racial backgrounds, religious faiths, or no faith at all.
There are no age restrictions on foster carers, but you do need to be in good health, and have enough life experience and energy to help you with the challenges of caring for a child.
You will not be allowed to foster if you have committed any offences against children.
What is the process for becoming a foster carer?
If you want to take your interest further, you may wish to attend one of our Information Events, held regularly in Preston. To find out about forthcoming events click here.
Once you have contacted us, we can arrange for you to see one of Catholic Caring Services' specialist social worker or the Foster Care Team Leader to talk about your family and your wishes. Following this interview, if you and your worker feel it is right for you to begin the assessment process, you will be invited to attend a training programme. This usually takes place over two full and one half day sessions.
Your social worker will work with you through an assessment which involves visits to your home and family. Checks will be carried out with the Criminal Records Bureau, and other statutory agencies, to make sure there is nothing in your background to prevent you from looking after children. You will be asked to have a medical, and will also be asked to nominate two personal referees who can be interviewed by your social worker.
The outcome of the assessment will be presented to our Fostering Panel, a group of 10 people, some from within Catholic Caring Services, others independent people, all with knowledge of children. The Panel then makes a recommendation as to whether you should be approved as a foster carer. The recommendation is considered by the charity's Director who is charged legally with the responsibility of making decisions on adoption and foster care applications.
How long does the process take?
There is a lot involved in the preparation and assessment of foster carers. Your social worker will work closely with you through this process, and help you to make sure that fostering is right for you and your family. Some applicants need longer than other to discern all of the implications of fostering and arrive at a confident judgement of their motivation and capacity. Checks must be fully carried out according to legal requirements. All this cannot be rushed.
You can expect the process to take an average of eight months, although the exact length of time will vary depending on your circumstances.
What support will be available?
You will have your own social worker, from our experienced, committed team, who will visit you regularly and offer support and advice. We also offer support outside of office hours, so there is always someone for our carers to talk to when there are problems.
The foster child will also have their own social worker, who will visit the child in the foster home.
We hold regular Foster Carer Support Groups, where carers can meet together, share experiences, and receive information.
We also have access to support from other professionals who may be able to help with problems such as difficult behaviour, school or health related problems.
What training will I receive?
If you are interested in becoming a foster carer with Catholic Caring Services, you will be invited to attend Preparation Training sessions, held over two days. These sessions will give you the information you need to help you decide if fostering is for you.
Once approved, our foster carers will be invited to training sessions on a variety of topics. Some carers may be interested in taking more formal qualifications, such as NVQs, which Catholic Caring Services will encourage but not require.
I'm interested in becoming a foster carer, what should I do next?
You can e-mail us at info@catholiccaringservices.org.uk, or telephone us on 01772 732313, or you can write to us. We will talk to you in more detail, and send you our Information Pack.
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