Fostering Charities are recruiting foster carers to meet children’s needs and keep vulnerable children in the communities to which they belong. Not for Profit Fostering Charities need new Foster Carers to meet the expected demand for new additional fostering households; it is a demand causing genuine concern.

The Coronavirus created a challenge, and we adjusted our lives to accommodate it. We’ve also realised that Coronavirus isn’t going away, and it left a trail of tragedy in its wake. Sadly, this means more children in care are waiting longer for safe and loving homes. Also, austerity, a lack of support networks, and a cost-of-living crisis mean more children are going into care.

Verve community- keeping children local is important.

Fostering charities are becoming increasingly concerned about the shortage of foster carers to support vulnerable children. They also need to recruit new foster carers to foster siblings and keep families together, and Mother & Baby foster carers. The highest demand is foster carers local to children and including older children & teenagers as they transition to independent living.

Local Authorities and Fostering Charities need foster carers to provide emergency foster care. Usually, emergency foster care lasts for one day to a few weeks; ideally, children are to be placed within their family network wherever possible. However, if this is not possible, children move to short-term foster carers to match their needs and who live within communities where they are loved and belong.

The biggest challenge is finding local foster homes.

The biggest challenge Local Authorities face is matching children with local foster carers. There is often a lack of foster carers available; children often move away, and siblings become separated. The trauma and sense of loss children feel as they lose family, friends, and school is immense. However, losing each other is heartbreaking, especially to an older sibling who has played a parental role in protecting younger siblings. They know no other life and have often missed a childhood; separation from their role is profound. Sadly, more than 12000 children in care do not live with at least one of their siblings. This statistic must change; we need more foster carers to care for siblings. Can you foster?

Fostering Charities keep families together.

Sibling foster carers usually have more than one spare bedroom. They also must have space in the home and their hearts for every child because every child matters. Finding time for every child is important; we need sibling foster carers to stop children from being separated. Whether they need emergency, short-term, or long-term care, the timescale is immaterial; siblings must stay together.

There is also a demand for foster carers to provide specialist care. These include Step Down foster care, Therapeutic foster care and helping unaccompanied asylum-seeking children settle into communities. Specialists foster carers also support children who may have complex needs. These children may have behavioural issues and need specialist 1:1 support, which is vital, especially to a child who has lived with child abuse or faced bereavement. These children need safe and loving homes they feel they belong, with foster carers and their families who understand.

Respite foster care is a welcome break when needed most.

Respite foster carers are a lifeline for many carers and their children, offering a welcome break when needed most. These foster carers have extensive experience caring for children but can’t commit to full-time foster care. Often respite foster carers become full-time foster carers; respite care enables them to gain experience in foster care. It’s a sensible way to become a foster care because fostering a child is a huge commitment. Starting as respite carers means they can offer a much-needed welcome break that fits in with their lives and family commitments.

Also, regular respite with foster carers is vital for children who don’t change. These children need familiarity with consistent care and form relationships with their respite carers over time. These children look forward to respite care as much as their carers look forward to a welcome break. More importantly, foster carers leave with peace of mind, knowing their child or children are happy. And as any parent knows, that feeling is priceless.

Mother & Baby foster care; a helping hand when needed most.

Mother & Baby foster carers support mums and babies who may need additional support. It is a specialist type of foster care and usually lasts over twelve weeks. Therefore Mother & Baby foster carers must commit themselves as often; young mums might not have had strong parenting; motherhood may not come naturally to them. Many young mums, especially those who grew up in care, feel you will judge them. They are vulnerable Mums who need help to understand the feelings of motherhood and embrace change in themselves to love their babies.

Not for Profit fostering charities support Mums and their babies to stay together by giving foster carers 24/7 local support. This support is why I recruit foster carers for the Not-for-Profit sector; their continual support and training are outstanding. Without this support, Mums and babies will struggle; Mother & Baby foster carers are the difference between families staying together or not. Subsequently, the emotional advice and support shown to Mums and babies who need a helping hand are priceless.

Are you an existing foster carer thinking about transferring?

If you are a foster carer considering transferring or are a previous foster carer and thinking about returning to fostering with a Not-for-Profit fostering Charity, please get in touch. We will happily support you with free-of-charge advice and support to enable you to decide about transferring or connecting you with a fostering charity that matches you.

Verve Community offers honest advice and clarity on the fostering role. We help you to understand the needs of children and fostering charities who need foster homes with people to care for them. It doesn’t matter if you are single, married, in a relationship, or gay. What matters is that you have time to dedicate to children in safe and loving homes for however long they need you.

Can you foster? To become a foster carer, you need a spare bedroom. If you want to care for siblings, you’ll need more than one room and space in your heart and home for each child. There are few roles in life as challenging as foster care; however, few are as rewarding. If you want to chat about fostering charities near you, get in touch on the form below. It’s free, and there’s no commitment, just honest advice to make your fostering dream a reality with a Not- for- Profit Charity…