What is fostering?
Fostering means caring for a child or children who are not your
own. It is a service which offers hope and support to many
families, some in crisis.
It is not always easy. It can be demanding, stressful and a
lot of work, but it can also be enormously rewarding and a lot of
fun.
It can be for short periods (a matter of days or weeks), for
longer periods of months or years, or sometimes permanently.
Focusing on the needs of the child is the overriding priority.
The partnership between parents, carers and social workers is also
vital.
Foster carers touch the lives of every child they welcome into
their home by providing security and stability, and allowing
them to thrive and develop.
Why we need foster carers
Homes for children of all ages and backgrounds are
required. There are also children with special needs, sibling
groups, teenagers and young mothers with children. We will reach an
agreement with you as to what age range would best suit your
family.
All these children need homes for different reasons, although it
is often due to:
- a crisis in their family
- illness
- parents not being able to cope
- physical or sexual abuse
- violence
- drink or drug addiction
- neglect
Royal Borough foster carers honoured by Boris Johnson
Two local foster carers received a prestigious
Foster Care Recognition Award from the Mayor of London.
Read more...
In their own words
Would you like to know more about fostering directly from other
foster carers?
Hear from a couple who are fostering
Download a transcript of
this video [PDF] (file size Kb)
Hear also from a single foster carer
Download a transcript of
this video [PDF] (file size Kb)
A fostering podcast is also available (MP3)
Download a transcript of this
podcast [PDF] (file size 59Kb)
Useful websites