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Being a foster carer is more than just a job, it’s an incredibly rewarding role that has its own unique challenges. As a foster carer, you play a vital role in providing children and young people with the stability they need. 

Even the most experienced foster carers need support in place so here’s how we can help. 

 

Emotional Support 

Children and young people deserve the positive experience of family life. But joining a new foster family can be difficult – especially for children who have experienced trauma. That’s why it’s important that foster carers are equipped to understand and respond to the young person in their care.  

By getting to know you well, we’ll give you the support and guidance needed to make a positive difference. You can access a range of emotional support services to support you in your fostering role. As such, this can take many different forms including access to formal supervision, peer support, and other networks.  

Drop-in sessions

We understand that there are a lot of questions that you might have around the various types of foster care.  Is it right for me? What do I need to be a foster carer? Where do I even start?

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT), we offer monthly drop in sessions held at various venues through the borough: 

• Dunelm Store Cafe
• Brackley Library
• Kettering Library
• Corby Library
• Weston Favell Library
• Wellingborough Library
• Rushden Library
• Deanshanger Library

Wherever across Northamptonshire you might be based, why not pop along to speak to us and feel free to ask our specialist team and existing foster carers anything you need to.

Why not register to attend for free below t let us know you’re coming:

 

Foster carer communities 

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT), our robust package of dedicated foster care support includes access to local groups: 

• The Northamptonshire Foster Carers Association is run by foster carers. You can connect with others and share experiences at events such as the breakfast club. 

• Our buddying scheme is fantastic for new carers. It gives you the chance to meet with more experienced carers for support and advice. 

 

Social Worker Support 

To help you provide high-quality care, you’ll be allocated a supervising social worker. They will be there to help you achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people.  

This ongoing foster care support is an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have. This will help you manage any challenges or changes in the needs of the children in your care.   

 

Financial Support 

You may be surprised to know that fostering is a good long-term career option.  

Not only do you benefit from emotional and practical support, but you will also receive a generous fostering allowance.  

This helps to offset the financial costs of caring for a child, covering: 

• Food 
• Clothing 
• Other essential expenses. 

At NCT, we also offer bonus payments to cover a child’s holiday, birthday, and religious festivals. 

The amount paid will depend on the needs of the children and young people you care for and your level of fostering expertise. For example, at NCT we have several types of foster carers, including in Resilience foster care. They are trained to care for children and young people with difficult life experiences. For their care and expertise, they receive a support package of up to £40,000 per year.  

 

Training and Development 

As you know, it’s important to have the knowledge and skills to meet the emotional, practical, educational needs of children in your care.  

At NCT, we’re committed to helping improve outcomes for children and young people as well as helping you grow professionally and personally. Our extensive training and development opportunities cover a range of topics, including: 

• Parental and other attachments  

• Child development  
• Secure base parenting  
• The impact of trauma on physical and emotional development 
• How to communicate with children and implement therapeutic parenting 

The training aspect of our foster care support offering includes a suite of e-learning and face-to-face training in Northamptonshire. We also have a range of webinars as part of your complimentary membership to the National Association of Therapeutic Parents. Our training both up-skills and empowers you to meet the therapeutic care needs of children and young people. As a ‘therapeutic champion’, you will be confident in supporting healthy relationships, effective self-regulation skills and resilience. 

NCT is home to interactive VR technology that can immerse you into situations experienced by the child or young person. This can give you a greater understanding of their trauma responses and how to support them.  

If you’re ready to chat, we can’t wait to tell you all about fostering with NCT. Register your interest using the link below and we will give you a call back to get you started on your journey. 

Becoming a foster carer is, understandably, a big step to take. It’s an incredibly rewarding journey, but sadly, many people rule themselves out based on fostering myths alone.  

To quash some of these untruths, we’ve created a helpful list of eight myths and facts. Most are concerned with the perceived barriers to fostering, but there are some about what it is like to foster– that will hopefully dispel any misconceptions.  

Myth 1: Fostering is only for married couples  

Fact: Foster families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. That’s one of the best things about NCT’s foster carer community. We have single people, same-sex partners, large families, and cohabiting couples fostering children and young people. Your marital status is not a barrier to becoming a foster carer.  

Myth 2: Fostering is for homeowners only  

Fact: You do not need to be a homeowner to foster. At NCT, we have plenty of foster carers who rent their home. As long as you are financially secure, your landlord is aware of your intention to welcome new children into your home, and you can provide a safe family environment you can foster.  

There is one thing that is necessary, however. You will need to have a spare unoccupied bedroom that your foster child can call their own. 

Myth 3: I cannot foster if I am from the LGBTQ+ community  

Fact: Individuals from the LGBTQ+ can absolutely become foster carers. In fact, there are laws and regulations in place that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  

We’re incredibly proud of how diverse our foster carer community is and wholeheartedly welcome applications from anyone over the age of 21.  

Myth 4: I must be a parent to foster  

Fact: You do not need to already be a parent to foster. Although childcare experience is beneficial, you’ll receive full training both during and after the fostering assessment process. The important thing is that you can provide a safe and nurturing environment for a child or young person, regardless of whether you’re a parent or not.  

Myth 5: My ethnicity will stop me from being able to foster  

Fact: You do not have to share the same ethnicity as the children you foster. In fact, there’s a huge need for foster carers from all ethnic backgrounds to ensure that children living away from their birth families have access to culturally sensitive and inclusive care. The important thing is that you’re able to promote a sense of belonging, identity, and cultural understanding for children in your care.  

Myth 6: I am too old to foster  

Fact: Many people rule themselves out based on age alone, but you’ll be glad to know there is no upper age limit to fostering. As long as you’re over 21 years old, your age will not be a concern. In fact, here at NCT, we have some amazing foster carers in their 70s, whose life experience and time are a real benefit to children and young people.  

Myth 7: I cannot foster if I have pets 

Fact: Many children and young people love pets, and so you can still foster if you have pets. As part of the fostering assessment process, we will assess whether your pet poses any concerns. 

Myth 8: Fostering is a permanent arrangement  

Fact: Fostering can be both short-term and long-term. It can range from providing temporary care for a few days, weeks, or months to offering a stable, permanent home for a child who is living away from their birth family. 

As part of our fostering assessment process, we will explore the different types of fostering that are best suited to you.  

Start your fostering journey with us 

We hope we’ve gone some way to breaking down some of the misconceptions about fostering.  

To start the foster carer application process with us, all we ask is that you: 

• Are at least 21 years of age  
• Have a spare bedroom for a foster child  
• Have the time and skills required to care for a child or young person 

We’ll never place you under any pressure to foster as it’s just as important to us and our children and young people that you can provide a safe and secure family home.  

We’d love to have an initial chat. To start your fostering journey, simply call us on [insert tel] or email us at [insert email] 

Since each child or young person has their own needs, there are, as you’d expect, different types of fostering. Our aim is to match children with suitable foster families who can provide the specific support and care they require while living away from their birth family. 

Some children need immediate short-term foster care support, while others require long-term foster families. Likewise, there are children who require specialised care due to their age, health conditions, disabilities, or specific behavioural or emotional needs.  

Different types of fostering ensure that foster carers have the necessary skills and training to provide targeted support. One thing that they all have in common, though, is that they’re immensely rewarding, so we thought we’d share a summary of each.  

Short-Term and Emergency Fostering 

As the name suggests, this type of fostering is for a short period of time. With emergency fostering, foster carers provide immediate care for children who require urgent placement, often due to a crisis or unforeseen circumstances. 

Essentially, short-term foster carers provide temporary care for children. This is while plans are made for their long-term care, such as a return home with their birth family or moving to long-term foster carers.  

Long-Term fostering 

Long-term foster carers provide children and young people with a safe, supportive, nurturing family environment. Lasting from several months to years, the child often remains with the same foster family until they reach adulthood.  

If you were to ask any of our long-term foster carers, they’ll tell you the same thing. Long-term fostering, while not without its challenges, is a gratifying experience. As a foster carer, you offer a child a sense of belonging and stability. Over time, you can establish a bond, trust, and connection that can be transformative for the child’s emotional and social development. 

Resilience fostering 

Resilience foster carers are specialist foster carers trained to care for children aged 8-18 who have had very difficult life experiences. They help young people understand and manage their emotions and behaviours to build healthy, positive relationships.  

Again, being a resilience foster carer is personally rewarding, both for the foster carer and the young person, as the relationship creates a greater sense of belonging and permanency.  

Given the higher level of care, resilience carers receive a financial reward package of up to £40,000 per year.  

Family Link fostering 

Offering short-term breaks or periods of care to provide respite for disabled children, our family link foster carers give families much-needed support.  

Depending on a child or young person’s needs, Family Link fostering can last from a few hours to a few days each month. The foster carer’s role is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child.  

An immensely rewarding experience, our Family Link foster carers build a close relationship with the child and parent.   

Parent and child fostering 

Parent and child fostering, also known as mother and baby fostering, is where foster carers provide short-term support, guidance, and mentoring to a young parent (usually mum) and their baby or young child. The aim is to help the parent develop their parenting skills, bond with their child, and create a nurturing and stable environment for their family. 

Our foster carers work closely with the parent to promote positive parenting techniques, establish routines, and ensure the wellbeing of both the parent and child.  

This short-term support is personally enriching as the parent develops lifelong skills to care for their child safely.  

Giving you the skills to foster  

Whatever type of foster carer you become, you can be sure of one thing – you’ll receive all the training and support that you need. 

As part of your training, you will develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to be a ‘therapeutic champion’ for children who have experienced trauma. So, whatever type of foster carer you become, you’ll be a great one! 

If you’re interested in becoming a Northamptonshire foster carer, we’d love to hear from you. Simply contact us to start your fostering journey.