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Fostering Info
14 December 2022 by DK 0 Comments

How Long Does It Take to Become a Foster Carer?

Becoming a foster carer in the UK is a process that involves different stages. The duration of time that you have to wait to become a foster carer depends on various factors. This article explores the time it takes from application to becoming a foster carer.

Do you want to become a foster carer in the UK? Well, one of your concerns is how long it will take to become a foster carer. Let’s take you through the process and the expected timelines.

What is the estimated duration from the application to the end?

To become an approved foster carer in the UK, it might take you about 3-8 months. Again, the time is not fixed because of the varied assessments involved. Your schedule will also affect the timeline because you have to be available for some assessments.
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Basic steps involved in becoming a foster carer

Now that you already know the estimated wait time to become a foster carer in the UK, you should know with precision the steps involved in becoming a foster carer.
  • Initial enquiry – you will talk to one of our social workers to express your interest in becoming an approved foster carer. At this stage, we will share all the available opportunities and any concerns that an aspiring foster carer may have. It only takes a few minutes to clear this step
  • Attending an information session – It is a mandatory step for new foster carers. You will be invited to attend an information session to formally learn about fostering requirements in the UK.
  • Home visit – It is an initial home visit to check compliance with fostering requirements of a suitable home environment.
  • Skills-to-foster training – It is a mandatory training session that equips you with the basic skills of fostering. It takes about 3 days to complete the training.
  • Form F assessment – This is the longest step that takes a lot of time. It involves assessing your readiness through several interviews conducted by a social worker. Your family members and your referee will also be interviewed.
  • Panel meeting – After meeting the requirements of the Form F, assessment, you will then proceed to meet a fostering panel to discuss your readiness to become a foster carer.
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Ready to become a foster carer?

In about 3-8 months, you could be an approved foster carer in the UK. Start your application today by contacting us and we will send one of our social workers to initiate the application process.
You can also contact us if you have any questions.

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Fostering Info
22 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Can I Foster if I Have Debt?

It is okay to talk about your debt situation when fostering because it somewhat impacts your fostering abilities. We will explore your ability to foster if you have a debt. 
Fostering requires financial commitments that will determine your suitability. Many potential foster carers are worried about their previous and current debts blocking their way to becoming carers.

Does debt affect your eligibility?

Yes, debt can affect your eligibility to become a foster carer in the UK. However, this doesn’t mean that you are automatically ineligible to become a foster carer if you have debt.

You need to discuss your debt situation with the fostering agency to determine how financially suitable you are to foster a child.

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Past and current debts

Past debts

Past debts are common and can’t affect your current fostering application. However, a fostering agency will need to assess your suitability based on this past debt that you had. The only thing that a fostering agency will be looking at is the confidence level at which you can handle money.
Remember, you will be paid fostering allowance to care for the foster child under your care. Therefore, a foster agency must be sure that you are able to manage your finances well to care for a foster child.
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Current debts

How huge are your current debts? That’s a major consideration that will affect your fostering chances.
Excessive debts are a concern to any fostering agency because they will affect the well-being of a foster child. However, if you have reasonable debts that you can repay, then your fostering application will proceed.
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Don’t worry…

Debts shouldn’t worry you if you can demonstrate the ability to pay them without any difficulties. Prove to your fostering agency your ability to repay current debts and your assessment to become a foster carer will proceed to the next step.
You can always contact us if you have any questions about your current financial situation that you think can delay your application process. Let us help you to get through the fostering application process.

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Fostering Info
21 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

What Financial Checks Are Done for Fostering?

Finances are integral when fostering a child. Therefore, agencies and/or local authorities conduct a rigorous financial background check. Find out here what you should expect to be checked.
Your application to become a foster carer depends on various factors one of which is your financial ability to care for a child. Your financial background and ability will be checked when you apply to become a foster carer in the UK.

What will a foster agency check?

The family income

Your income as a family will be a major consideration when your fostering application will be reviewed. The selection panel must be assured that you or your partner have a stable income that can support your family’s needs.
There will be an allowance given for fostering a child. It is crucial to the foster agency that they ascertain that this allowance will work in the best interest of the foster child. They can only be sure of this if you have another source of income to support your family’s needs.
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Family’s expenditure

Your expenditure will also be assessed to check if it matches your income. You are supposed to live within your means so as to be able to avoid using fostering allowance to keep up with personal expenditures.

Debt

The fostering agency will also check your current and past debts. The idea is to establish if you are capable of managing your debt to avoid mismanaging fostering allowances.

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Importance of financial checks when fostering

You will be in charge of caring for a vulnerable child. This means that you must be able to cater to their needs as directed by the fostering agency. The fostering allowance will help you meet the foster child’s financial needs.
You will need personal financial security to handle fostering allowance. It doesn’t mean that you have to be rich, but you must show the financial capability to care for a foster child.
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Conclusion

Financial checks done during fostering are friendly. They shouldn’t worry you if you want to become a foster carer.
Get started today and we will guide you through the financial checks done for fostering.

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Fostering Info
16 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Therapeutic Foster Care for Children with Mental Health Issues

Therapeutic foster care is a specialised type of foster care. With this qualification, you can care for children with mental illnesses. We will share a wide range of tips that you will find useful when caring
It requires boldness and unreserved dedication to care for children with mental health issues. You are a rare persona if you are contemplating this bold decision.
However, you need to understand what therapeutic care is and how you can do it better to care for children with mental health issues.

What is therapeutic foster care?

It is a specialised type of foster care carried out by carers who have specialised training in different therapeutic niches to care for children facing significant emotional, social, medical, and behavioural issues.
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Who can become a therapeutic foster carer?

Unlike many other forms of foster care, therapeutic foster carers are require to undergo specialist therapeutic training. You should have experience in mental health, psychology, or any medical background that is relevant to this type of care. You must also be willingness to work with specialist mental health services and teams.

Caring for children with mental health issues

Let’s face it, caring for children with mental health issues can be quite challenging. But you still have a duty to care for such children because they are a part of society. More importantly, they also need care, which no one can offer if everyone absconds this duty.
We understand how challenging it can be to care for children with mental health issues. In that regard, you can use the following tips to advance your care approach:
  • Watch out for behaviour changes and be ready to support them when they need it;
  • Model good coping skills for them to learn from you;
  • Open communication channels and keep them honest;
  • Always assure them that they are loved;
  • Provide positive feedback when they do something positive;
  • Involve them in decision-making;
  • Always talk about emotions;
  • Involve professionals if you cannot handle a situation.
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Is it manageable?

Yes, caring for children with mental health issues is manageable. You can join other dedicated foster carers offering therapeutic care to children with mental health issues in the UK.
Your contribution to this noble cause will always be compensated financially. However, the social contribution can never match the financial gain. Contact us today if you want more information about therapeutic foster care for children with mental health issues.
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Fostering Info
14 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

What Questions Are Asked in a Fostering Assessment?

Fostering assessment determines your eligibility to become a foster carer in the UK. Learn about the questions the social worker will ask you to prepare yourself for the initial assessment.

Soon after you apply to become a foster carer, you will be assessed on your eligibility to become a foster carer in the UK.

The fostering assessment questions are often straightforward and honest answers are expected for you to qualify to become a foster carer.

Where are the questions asked?

For your preparation, you might want to ask the foster agency where the questions will be asked. It could be through an informal house visit or an invitation to a meeting with the agency’s representatives.
Either way, understanding the questions and how to answer them form the core of this discussion.

Top questions to expect and how to answer them

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Basic questions about your eligibility to become a foster carer

• Do you own the property you live in?

The social worker will seek to determine the nature of the property you are living in. You don’t need to own a house to foster. The question targets the stability of your stay there when fostering.

• Do you have pets?

This question will help the social worker create a profile and match you with children who are not allergic to pets that you own.

• Do you have medical issues?

This question will be framed differently but the key idea is to know our general level of health. As a requirement, you will need a medical statement to support your answer.

• Has anyone in your family been a foster carer before?

This question is procedural to know your family’s interest in fostering or adoption.

• Who are you living with?

You must tell the social worker your living arrangements and anybody else who lives in your home, including your children.
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• Do you have children not living with you?

This is a direct question that seeks to know if you have children who are not living with you. You will need further explanations if there is a minor who is not living with you.

• Who are your referees?

You will need to provide names of people who can act as your referees. You will need to provide references for other adults living with you as well.

Questions about your personality

Here are a set of questions that will be asked about your personality.

• What kind of a person do you consider yourself to be?

It is an open question that allows you to share your personality traits with the social worker.

• What are your religious beliefs?

You will need to discuss your religious beliefs with the social worker.

• What is your cultural background?

This is a question that seeks answers about your race, culture, and languages you speak.

• Can you care for a child of a different race, religion, or cultural background?

The expectation is that foster carers can care for a child whose background is different from their own. It is also required for matching purposes.

What are your hobbies?

It is another routine question that helps to create a perfect match with a foster child’s interests.

What are your standards of living?

You will need to explain your standards of living. It is an open question that seeks an explanation about what your financial stability.

Do you have any skills that are relevant to fostering?

You will also be asked if you have relevant skills that might boost your fostering work. For example, you might have experience of working with children as a teacher or you have a medical background.
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Summary

As you can see, the questions are easy and you can always respond to them easily. You must be honest when answering these questions.
If you have any queries about any of these questions and how to answer them, please contact us today.

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Fostering Info
1 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Can Foster Children Share a Bedroom?

A spare bedroom is a prerequisite for any carer who wants to foster a child in the UK. You also need to understand the type of bedroom that is recommended for foster children as you plan to start fostering.
One of the basic commitments that foster carers have in the UK is the provision of an extra room to accommodate the foster child.

Is it possible for foster children to share a bedroom?

No, it is impossible to be approved as a foster carer in the UK if you do not have a spare bedroom for each foster child.
This legal requirement is stemmed from several safeguarding issues that the authorities are trying to protect the foster child against. In addition to having a spare bedroom, you must also know the recommended specifications of a good bedroom for a foster child.

Can foster children from the same family share a bedroom?

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What happens if you are fostering siblings, do they need separate bedrooms or they can share a bedroom?
Well, the rule remains simple – foster children cannot share a room. However, there is an exception if you are fostering siblings of the same sex. But even with this exception, you will need approval from the local authority for the siblings to share a bedroom.
In such a scenario, the siblings have to be young and come from a background of sharing a room. Don’t rush to separate the siblings if they were previously sharing a room. You need them to settle better, thus, try as much as possible to maintain their comfort levels.

Requirements for children sharing rooms

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In case you are fostering siblings,
  • They must be within a certain age group. Most agencies will allow up to 11 years.
  • They must also be of the same sex
  • The bedroom must be big enough to accommodate two children and give them the individual privacy that they need.

Why do foster children need to have their bedrooms?

Given the fact that a majority of foster children come from traumatic backgrounds, they need a safe place they can retreat to alone. Having their bedrooms make it possible for them to enjoy some privacy.
Foster children need to have their own bedrooms to avoid any rivalry that may occur if the children share a bedroom with other children.
It is also a safeguarding concern if foster children of different sex share the same bedroom.
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What a spare bedroom is

You need to know what a spare bedroom is to get it right when fostering children.
  • Should be on the same floor as the carer’s or a floor above to guarantee safety and security
  • It should have windows and a door
  • It should have an age-appropriate bed
  • It should have storage
  • It should be large enough for play
  • It should have provisions for heating

What a spare bedroom is not

You cannot have a spare bedroom for a child if it is:
  • Used as a through room where people pass to access other rooms in the house
  • It is a room of a young person at the university
  • It is a room for another child who has left the space for a foster child to share with another sibling
  • It is a room used regularly by overnight guests.

Conclusion

Now you know when a spare bedroom is needed for foster children. You’ve also learnt what a spare bedroom is and what it should look like. If you are unsure about anything, please contact us today and we will answer all your questions about foster children sharing a bedroom.

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Fostering Info
1 November 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Homeless Children and Foster Care System

Homelessness is a serious concern in the United Kingdom. Find out how the foster care system is stepping in to offer a temporary solution to this growing concern and how you could be part of the solution.

Homelessness in the UK

It is often not a child’s decision to become homeless. Many background factors that are beyond the child’s reach contribute to homelessness.
According to a 2019 BBC publication, homelessness in the UK was alarming with many children finding themselves homeless. Some of the factors that lead to homeless children in the UK include:
  • Violence
  • Abuse
  • Breakdown
  • Mental health illnesses
  • Unaffordable housing
  • Poverty
  • Unemployment

How does the foster care system step in?

When children are left homeless in the UK, the government has an inherent responsibility to care for them.
However, the UK government does not have enough resources on its own to care for hundreds of thousands of homeless children every year. Still, the government’s commitment to solving this problem is visible through the foster care system.
The foster care system steps in to provide temporary accommodation to homeless children as the government attempts to find a more lasting solution to homelessness in the country.

Government’s input in the foster care system

Apart from designing the whole foster care system to cater to the growing need of homeless children in the UK, the government also:

Provides fostering allowance

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Much of the allowance given to foster carers comes from the government. The UK government is aware that foster carers are offering this service to aid government services, thus, offering an allowance to compensate them for their humane actions.

Why is the foster care system preferred for homeless children?

Unlike other forms of temporary accommodations, the foster care system is warmer and more receptive to homeless children. A child in a foster care system enjoys a homely environment that distracts them from their problems.
It is also possible for children in foster care systems to continue with their education and social lives normally.

Problems of homeless children and the foster care system

The biggest problem is that the foster care system cannot handle all the homeless children in the UK. It is because many people are not registering as foster carers in the UK.
There are not as many foster carers as homeless children in the UK. This means that the foster care system is overwhelmed. It is for this reason that you are encouraged to apply to become a foster carer to reduce the gap between homelessness and temporary accommodation.

How to be involved?

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Did you know that you can be involved today? You don’t need professional qualifications to become a foster carer. The best gift that you can offer to humanity is applying to become a foster carer.
You will be fulfilling your societal duty of caring for homeless children. The good thing is that you won’t suffer financial losses because all your expenditure will be cared for by the fostering agency.
Contact us today if you want to join the foster care system and help to reduce homelessness among children in the UK.

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Fostering Info
28 October 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Do You Need Qualifications to be a Foster Carer?

Becoming a foster carer has qualifications. Find out what you need to become a foster carer here.
Are planning to become a foster carer but worried about the qualifications? We have all the answers that you need to get started as a foster carer in the UK.

A foster carer…

A person that takes care of children or young people who are unable to live with members of their birth family.
The UK career service has listed fostering as a career that requires dedication when you decide to become one. With this in mind, you must decide if fostering is ideal for you based on the requirements.

Do you need a professional qualification to become a foster carer?

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Firstly, you must recognise fostering as a formal job that has its set of requirements.

But, you don’t need any formal qualification to become a foster carer in the UK. There is no college or university course that you must attend to become a foster carer.

The only thing that you must fulfil is the various requirements set by the UK government governing foster care services in the country.

Can formal education help your application?

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Well, there is no educational qualification to become a foster carer. However, if you have a college degree in fields that can help in handling children.
Further, specialised courses like psychology, psychiatry, or any special need course can make you become a specialist foster carer. Therefore, relevant formal education can boost your application process but is not a requirement. Training is provided to all carers to support them to care for fostered children.

Basic requirements needed to become a foster carer

Having demystified the fact that you don’t need a formal qualification to become a foster carer, we will share what it takes to become a foster carer.
  • You must be 21 years of age or above 
  • You must be a citizen of the UK or have permanent residency in the country
  • You must pass the enhanced background checks
  • You need a spare bedroom for the foster child

You can become a foster carer if you meet these basic requirements. 

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Are there mandatory training courses for foster carers?

Yes, there are courses that you must do to be registered as a foster carer in the UK. Your foster agency will advise you on the duration of these courses as soon as you start your application.

Some of the basic courses that you will undertake during the initial training include Safeguarding, First Aid, Record Keeping, and Child Sexual Exploitation among other basic courses. Please contact us to know the exact courses and their timelines.

Getting started…

Now that you know that you don’t need any professional qualification to become a foster carer in the UK, why don’t you begin your application today? Get in touch with us and our social worker will start processing your application.

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Fostering Info
19 October 2022 by DK 0 Comments

Mental and Emotional Health of Children When Leaving Foster Care

Children leaving foster care face mental and emotional challenges that could be reduced if you knew how to handle them. This article explores issues surrounding the mental and emotional health of children in foster care when leaving.
Do you have a foster child who is about to leave your care? You should be concerned about their mental and emotional health because experts have highlighted it as a big concern.
Various situations may lead to foster children leaving foster care. The child may leave foster care because of neglect, abuse, or a return to their birth parents. Regardless of the situation, foster children face tremendous hardship when leaving the care system because of the expectation to adapt to changing environments.

The goal of foster care against reality in the UK

The goal of foster care in the UK is simple – to provide a safe and nurturing environment temporarily while the children await reunification with their birth family or permanent placement.
However, the reality is quite different with many children unable to fulfil this goal because of various situations.

Concerns about the mental and emotional health of children leaving foster care

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Childhood trauma

One of the top reasons why a child is placed under foster care is that they have been mistreated, neglected, or abused in their birth family. This causes direct physical and emotional trauma, which the child carries to the care system.
Even with the assumption that a child is taken under care because of other reasons like imprisonment, substance abuse, or the death of a parent, such a child will still experience mental health problems because these are traumatic events involving people close to them.

How does leaving foster care affect the child negatively?

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Think about it – you have just provided a safe and nurturing environment to a child who had come from a problematic background. Such a child will always experience heightened levels of anxiety if you were to move them.
The greatest fear is that they might relive their past experiences if they go out of foster care. Whilst the legal framework tries to address this by ensuring that the next placement of a child leaving foster care is safe, the mental and emotional health of such a child is devoid of the legal implications of leaving foster care.
Remember that even while providing foster care for a child, there are constant mental and emotional health concerns that you are trained to deal with. This is because a child under foster care will often experience depression, anxiety disorder, social phobia, reactive attachment disorder, and separation anxiety disorder.
Therefore, when they are leaving your care after you have extensively reassured them of their safety, the feelings of separation anxiety reappear.

How to handle the mental and emotional health of a child leaving foster care?

We over-emphasize the importance of early inventions even before the child leaves your care. Firstly, you must be aware that foster care is not permanent and the child will have to leave your care at some point.
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With this in mind, the following recommendations can be helpful:

  1. Help the children know that it is not their fault that they are separated from their parents
  2. Don’t speak ill of their birth family
  3. Encourage them to ask you questions
  4. Find ways of reassuring them that you are always there for them. You have to mean it; otherwise, it becomes more stressful if the child believes something that you cannot live up to
  5. Keep in touch.

Remember, we’re your first point of contact, thus, you should work closely with us to help the child reduce the dangers of mental and emotional health when they are leaving foster care.

How about you?

You will also be affected when a child leaves foster care. You can always use our expansive network to offer mental support after a child has left your care.
In addition, you should make memories with the child that you will cherish even after they have left. But while doing so, practice self-care so that you don’t end up being over-attached to a child.

The next steps…

You can help a foster child have positive mental and emotional health when leaving foster care. You should use our raft of measures recommended above to get you started.
Our lines are always open if you want assistance when dealing with children in foster care. Together we can make it swift and positive for children leaving foster care.

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Fostering Info
23 September 2022 by DK 0 Comments

How Much Is Kinship Fostering Allowance?

You deserve fostering allowance even when you are offering kinship fostering. Do you know how much you are eligible to get? We will share information about the kinship fostering allowance here.

What is kinship fostering?

Kinship fostering is an out-of-home arrangement to care for a child with whom you are related. You could be the uncle, aunty, grandfather, grandmother, or any distant relative of the child. Kinship fostering is eligible for fostering allowance just like any other type of fostering. So, how much will you receive as a weekly allowance when taking care of a child with whom you are related?
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Financial assistance as a kinship foster carer

The UK doesn’t have an exact figure that kinship foster carers are given as allowance. Instead, there are recommendations of what fostering agencies should use as guidelines to pay foster carers.

However, according to the government website, the minimum allowance is about £137 and £240 per week. Please contact us if you want to know the exact amount that you will get as a kinship foster carer.
When deciding on how much we will award as an allowance, we follow the government’s guidelines, which stipulate that we consider your location, the child’s age, the needs of the child, your fostering experience, and any other relevant factor that we may consider important.

Are there other benefits?

Any other benefit that you enjoy is similar to benefits enjoyed by other types of foster carers. You can also enjoy tax benefits if you qualify. You can find information about tax benefits for foster carers here.

How do I get started?

If you have an arrangement with any of your relatives to care for their birth child, you can contact us to formalise your fostering arrangements. Making it formal will help you qualify to receive the weekly fostering allowance to care for the foster child as expected.

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