Are you an experienced parent or carer with a spare bedroom and lots more to give?
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, Foster4, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington’s fostering recruitment service, has launched a new campaign to find local people to care for both parents and their children together. This usually means opening your home to support a young mum and her new baby, for around six months.
Cllr Matt Smith, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “By providing parent and child foster care, our goal is to support more local families to stay together. Becoming a parent is one of the biggest challenges of our lives, and it can be overwhelming, especially if you’re young and don’t have much support.
“By modelling parenting skills, helping parents to establish routines such as safe sleeping and feeding, supporting them with coping strategies and making positive choices, you’ll be playing a huge part in setting up a young family for a successful independent life.”
Therese, who has been a parent and child foster carer for seven years said: “The emotional reward is enormous. There’s nothing like seeing a young family thrive and eventually set up on their own after leaving our care. Even when it doesn’t end as hoped, you know you’ve given them the best chances of staying together, and the baby a safe, positive start in life.
“Some of the parents we’ve cared for have been teenage mums, and sometimes dads, who have been or are still in care themselves, and so maybe haven’t had positive parenting to learn from. Others have been parents with learning difficulties, who needed a lot of extra support in establishing routines and budgeting for example.
“Every situation is different, but equally rewarding. It’s just amazing getting texts from the families, updating me about how they’re getting on, even years down the line. I’m still my first girl’s go-to person!”
As a parent and child foster carer, you’ll work closely alongside social workers, health professionals and other agencies, to give the parent and child the best possible chances of staying together long-term and having successful independent lives.
You will need to have positive parenting/caring experience, a spare bedroom and to be at home full-time. We’ll provide you with all the equipment you’ll need, including cots, bedroom furniture and car seats, as well as exceptional training and support and a weekly allowance. Allowances vary, but are circa £500 per week.
If you’d like to know more, enquire today at foster4.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you.
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