Becoming a foster carer involves taking on a role that is incredibly rewarding, offering care to children and young people that need it. The role is not an easy one and can be challenging at times, but the difference foster carers make is incredible.
The children and young people that are referred to Team Fostering come from different backgrounds, therefore we look to recruit and train a diverse range of foster carers so that we are more likely to find a match that works well for the family.
Once you have made an enquiry with Team Fostering, we will speak with you and go over a few questions to find out which type of fostering would best suit your experience and expectations of fostering, while looking in further depth at the role of a foster carer and how this would work for you. You can get in touch with us by filling out our online enquiry form, speaking with our live chat agents, emailing us via info@teamfostering.co.uk or calling 0800 292 2003. We have a dedicated Recruitment Administrator, Sam, who specialises in speaking to people about fostering. No question is a silly question and we're here to listen to you. You can check out some of our top FAQs by clicking here.
Some of the questions that we'll go through with you when you first get in touch include...
'Do you have a spare bedroom?'
The minimum standards for fostering state that a child who is in foster care must have their own bedroom. This is to provide them with a space they can call their own. There are situations where same sex siblings may be able to share a room, but you would still need to have at least one spare bedroom to be a foster carer with Team Fostering.
'Are you over the age of 21?'
Again, this is due to the fostering regulations which state that you must be over the age of 21 to foster a child or young person. We also ask questions relating to any relevant work or parenting experience you have which will help you on your journey as a foster carer. There is no upper age limit.
'Do you drive and have access to a car?'
The local authorities that we work with ask that foster carers are able to transport children to and from school, as well as to meet their birth parents for any arrange family time. Therefore, they require all foster carers to be able to drive allowing them to be flexible in these situations, which is not always possible when relying on public transport. Foster carers also need to be able to travel to attend meetings and regular training at different local offices.
'Do you have any young children living at or who regularly visit your home?'
The children and young people who we work with often have complex needs or challenging behaviours that may require lots of attention. We also need to prioritise the safety or your children as well as ours. For this reason we are currently unable to accept applications from foster carers who have children under the age of 10 at home and this age may be higher depending on your local authority.
You can read our full Eligibility Criteria by clicking here, and if you'd like to speak to somebody you can reach us by sending an online enquiry, calling us or emailing us at info@teamfostering.co.uk.