You can be
- married, single or living with a partner of either sex
- in full-time employment or unemployed
- a parent or childless (ideally with experience of looking after
children or young people
- male or female
- any race religion or culture
- aged 21 or over
You do also need to have a spare bedroom and
have some of the everyday qualities needed to bring up children and
be able to offer a balanced stable home life.
We welcome enquiries from potential carers with different and
diverse heritages, and are particularly keen to hear from
enquirers able to consider fostering a sibling group,
teenagers or children with disabilities.
Have you got what it takes?
Foster carers are just ordinary people doing an extraordinary
job. We believe it helps if you have some of these everyday
qualities:
• patience
• energy
• resilience
• a sense of humour
• an enquiring mind
• well-organised
• active and healthy
• like helping people
• willing to learn
• understand children’s needs
Being a foster carer involves:
• Looking after a child and sharing your home life
• Making positive changes in a child’s life
• Helping to make plans for the child’s future
• Working together with the child’s parents and Social Care
staff
• Keeping written records and attending meetings
• Training and gaining new skills
It needs commitment from the whole family and whilst it is very
rewarding, it can also be challenging.
To see the child you have cared for successfully move back with
their own family, an adoptive family, or become independent with a
bright future is very fulfilling.
Things to consider
There are some factors that may make it inappropriate for you to
apply right now. Fostering is emotionally demanding on the carer
(as well as for the child or young person). So it is important that
you are not going through a period of upheaval, such as a
house-move, the arrival of a new baby, or a recent bereavement. If
you are currently undergoing fertility investigations or treatment,
or have concluded such investigations / treatment less than six
months ago, or if you have had a miscarriage or a child who has
died within the previous 12 months we would normally suggest that
you should wait at least a year. Leave it until things have settled
down and then do come back to us.
Also, Suffolk Fostering Service promotes healthy care and
therefore are unable to accept applications from smoking households
who wish to care for children under three years or for children who
have health needs.
For fostering to be right for your home, everyone in your
household needs to be involved. If you are in a partnership or have
your own children, everyone needs to be 'on board'
Additionally, there are certain criteria that will adversely
affect your likelihood of being accepted as a foster carer. Serious
physical or mental health problems; alcohol or drug dependency; a
criminal record relating to violent or abusive crimes against
adults or children or not being a permanent UK resident - any of
these may preclude you. We would however be happy to discuss any of
these issues, and would still encourage you to contact us if
you are not sure whether something may apply to you as we still
welcome your interest.
It is important that people thinking about fostering are aware
that the assessment process is searching and detailed. Before being
approved, prospective carers must be sure that this is the right
choice for them - and we too have to be confident that they will be
able to meet the needs of the children.
What skills will you Require
Why choose to foster
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