Foster the child, foster the future
Children in care have to deal with a multitude of pressures that most other children never have to face. It's not surprising that these pressures have an enormous impact on their behaviour and ability to learn and therefore their future. The instability of time away from family and friends, the emotional trauma of abuse or neglect, the struggle to keep up or catch up with course work and the challenges of remaining in or getting back into school - all these factors combine to make it harder for children in care to do well in their education and fulfil their potential. If they don't fulfil their potential, the consequences are serious and long lasting, impacting on their current life and future life chances.
This is why foster carers are so important. They offer stability, support, care and encouragement at a crucial time in a child or young person's life. Through doing ordinary everyday things for a child or young person they make an extraordinary difference and help create positive futures.
What is fostering?
Fostering involves looking after someone else's child or teenager in your own home in the short term or longer term. You will not be on your own because you will be an important part of a team working closely with social workers, other foster carers, adoptive families, teachers, doctors, other professionals and the child's parents.
Who are the children and young people?
A foster child is unable to live with his or her birth family and needs a home on a temporary or permanent basis for a variety of reasons. Children who need foster carers come from various different home environments and diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Who can foster?
We positively welcome foster carers from all parts of the community so we can find the best match for every child.
What support and training is available?
South Gloucestershire offers a comprehensive financial and support package to all foster carers in addition to a programme of training.
We can give you information on the following topics:
- Financial support for carers
- Additional support for carers
- Training opportunities for carers
What happens next?
If you would like more information about becoming a foster carer you can either:
- Download an information pack by clicking under the 'Read more' link opposite
- Phone or e-mail as per the 'Contact information' on this page
All prospective foster carers have to undergo a process of rigorous checks, assessment and preparation training.