You can apply to become a foster carer if you are 21 years or over. Although this is the minimum age to apply we want to ensure prospective foster carers have sufficient life experience before making such a big life changing decision.
Private fostering occurs when a parent makes arrangements for their child to be cared for by someone other than themselves for more than 28 days. This includes extended family, for example a cousin, a great aunt or great uncle, a great grandparent; or a family friend. It does not include close blood relatives: a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership) or a step-parent. A child is considered to be anyone under the age of 16, or a disabled young person under 18.
Read MoreWe always want to talk with potential foster carers. Additionally, if you or someone you know currently fosters with an independent fostering agency they can transfer to us. If you are a foster carer with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council or you are an RMBC employee, there is a cash incentive Foster Carer Referral Scheme.
Read MoreLevel 4 carers, previously Foster Plus carers, foster children with additional needs. Level 4 carers, undergo specialist training to gain the skills and knowledge to carry out therapeutic parenting.
Read MoreThere are many misconceptions about who can or cannot become a foster carer. Here, we’ve put together some of the most common ones that people ask us about.
Read MoreLike all children, every foster child is different. Many foster children have unfortunately had negative or traumatic experiences, which can lead to some challenging behaviours or mental health difficulties. All our foster carers receive training on how to manage different behaviours.
Welcoming a foster child into your home will be one of the more rewarding things you will ever do. However, there can be bumps in the road as you build a relationship with your foster child. Your social worker will work closely with you throughout the whole journey to ensure that both you and your foster child are happy in your home.
Read MoreYour children are an important part of the assessment process, and we make sure that we take their thoughts and needs into account when placing a foster child into your home.
Children usually leave care when they’re 18 years old, but in some cases a foster child may remain with their foster family beyond childhood.
Read MoreWhen you adopt a child, you become their legal parents; when you foster a child, you’re working with your local authority to take care of them in your home, whether that be short or long term.
A foster carer is someone who looks after children who can’t be looked after by their birth families. Foster carers provide day-to-day care for children and young people supporting their educational, health and social well being.
Read MoreThere is no exact recipe for making the perfect foster carer, as long as they have the capacity to support and care for a foster child in a loving home with patience, openness and a good sense of humour.
There is a lot of information about fostering available out there and if you’re new to fostering, there may be some terms you don’t recognise. Here is a glossary of some of our key fostering terms.
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We have a Privacy Notice policy which explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy. Please see the service specific privacy notices for more information about who we may receive information from, share your information with and why we may need to share information.
Read MoreFostering a child has to be at the right time for you and your family. A lot of our foster carers have found that the right time for them came when they had some free time in their lives and space in their home. Many foster carers decide it's the right time for them when they want to spend more time at home with their own children or make a real difference in their community.
Read MoreEach child in foster care will have a different story. Some children might have experienced abuse or neglect, or some families might have a long-term illness, mental health, or addiction issues, which means that they can’t properly look after their child all the time. It’s our job to make sure that we can give each child the safe and supportive family they deserve
Read MoreThis depends on what type of foster care is appropriate for you and your family…
Read MoreMany of our foster carers work with us for a number of years, but your circumstances might change so that fostering isn’t right for you anymore...
Read MoreChoosing to become a foster carer is a big decision...
Read MoreIf a foster child has minor behavioural difficulties, your social worker will have discussed this with you before they become a part of your family...
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