Fostering Service
Fostering is looking after someone else’s child in your own home at a time when his/her family are unable to do so. This can be due to many reasons: illness, relationship problems, family breakdown or perhaps a situation where the child’s welfare is threatened. Fostering works towards ultimately re-uniting a child and birth family or, if this is not possible, enabling them to live in a permanent alternative family.
Types of fostering
There are many different types of fostering that can be offered by carers.
Short term (temporary): This can be anything from an overnight stay to 12 months plus. There may be difficulties in a child’s birth family or the child may have been harmed or abused in some way. Short-term carers provide a safe place for a child to live whilst Social Services work with the child’s family to make a return home possible or to help the child to move on to a permanent alternative family.
Long term: Sometimes it may not be possible for a child to be returned to the care of their birth family. However, many parents love their children dearly but because of events that have occurred in their own lives they may never be able to care for them safely. The relationship between the child and the birth parent remains an important one and long term fostering allows a child to grow up in a safe and secure environment whilst maintaining contact with his/her family.
Respite Care: Respite or shared care provides a regular care alternative to birth families and other foster carers who may need a break. This may be required for a family who has a child with a disability or a child who has specific emotional needs. Respite care can be day care, overnight, one weekend every month or during school holidays.
What the children say
Laurence is 9 and his sister Ella is 5. They have been living with their foster carer for just under a year having been removed from their birth family because of neglect. Laurence says:
“You get cared for better and get good healthy food every single day. You just enjoy everything better ….”
The children are helped to maintain contact with their mother who they do love and have a better understanding now that although she loves them she couldn’t look after them properly.
Lisa is fifteen years old – Lisa’s mother is English and her father African. She was placed four years ago on a long-term basis and was believed to be so emotionally damaged that she would never be able to make a close relationship.
Now she says “I have been here for so long it doesn’t feel like I’m fostered – they are my family…”
Lisa will stay with her foster carers until she chooses to live independently and is supported in keeping in touch with her parents.
The children in need of care
The children can come to us from anywhere in the country but they will all have experienced loss and disruption of some kind. We need families for:
- children who are 0 to 18 years
- children from all social, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds
- children with a disability
- mother and child placement
- children who probably have had a number of moves in their lives
- brothers and sisters needing to be placed in one family
- brothers and sisters who may need to be placed separately but still require to maintain regular contact
- children who often need to maintain links with other members of their birth family and previous carers
Who can foster for CCRS?
We recruit from the following areas;
- The Salford Diocese
- The Shrewsbury Diocese
- The Greater Manchester and Cheshire areas
See our interactive map indicating CCRS recruitment areas.
CCRS is a Roman Catholic agency of the Diocese of Salford working in that Diocese and in parts of the Diocese of Shrewsbury and as such is committed to its Catholic ethos. Applications are invited from this geographical area to meet the needs of children.
We have no set ideas about what temporary or permanent substitute families should be like. However, caring for children who have had a difficult past can be very challenging. We are looking for a diverse range of families with many varied strengths and qualities.
We are looking for:
- a sense of commitment to a child
- the ability to accept a child’s past and to help the child to do so
- the ability to make relationships with children
- a sense of humour
- resilience
- some support from family, friends and other networks
- a flexible, patient, open-minded approach
- a willingness to encourage and support children to keep in contact with members of their birth family
- a willingness to work with the child’s Social Worker and other agencies that may be involved such as teachers, psychologists and other specialists
The fostering process
The fostering process involves:
- a first visit by a Social Worker to find out if fostering is right for you
- attendance at an initial training programme
- routine Local Authority checks and an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check
- medical with your G.P.
- interviews with three personal referees
- an assessment report compiled by your Social Worker following a series of home visits. The report is shared with you before being presented to the Fostering Panel for formal approval.
We will be with you every step of the way.
After Approval
- we keep you informed of progress through regular contact, support groups and training events
- children are referred to us by Local Authorities in the North West
- we use our experience to work with you in matching your skills to the needs of children
After Placement
- regular visits offering support/advice/help
- support groups with other foster carers
- ongoing training including access to N.V.Q.
Foster care allowances are paid into your bank or building society account fortnightly in arrears. Allowances are paid in accordance with the child’s needs and age with additional payments at specific times in the child’s life and expenses for particular fostering activities.
The CCRS foster care allowances cover all the expenses that can be anticipated in looking after a child. Carers who have the NVQ qualification or are looking after a child with a disability receive extra payments.
How to get in touch
If you would like more information please contact Jean Partington on 0161 445 7741 or e-mail jean.partington@ccrsorg.co.uk