Member News: Team Fostering - More about: Parent and Child Fostering

• Parent and child fostering is a specialist placement where a parent and their birth child live with, and are looked after by, a foster carer.

The aim of the placement is to provide support and guidance to the parent, usually the mother, so that they may eventually provide independent care for their child.

Parent and Child Fostering is an alternative to putting young parents in residential units and helps to provide the support they need at the early stages of this relationship.
Without this support these relationships can often break down and lead to separation of the parent from their child.
 
The Benefits of Parent & Child Fostering

A foster carer can help with the development of a crucial bond between the parent and child at an important stage in their child’s life. This can be extremely rewarding for the foster carer, who is able to see the attachment grow first hand.
The support given by the foster carer throughout the placement provides the parent with an insight into the lifelong parenting skills required so that they can look after their child independently.
 
Providing this support in a stable family environment helps the parent to focus on looking after their child and provides them with vital resources they wouldn’t have access to elsewhere.
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In turn, the child benefits from the extra support received by the parent giving them the best start in life.
 
Fostering Parent & Child at Team Fostering

Being a Parent and Child foster carer can be challenging but is a very rewarding experience. Within Team Fostering, Parent and Child Fostering is considered as a specialist role and is treated accordingly. Whilst you will be working one-to-one with young parents, you will not be alone when carrying out the task.

As a foster carer with us, you will be:

• given extensive training on the fostering task, including training related to parent and child fostering to ensure you feel confident in providing the best care possible
• designated a Supervising Social Worker who will support you throughout this and all your placements
• provided with access to our 24/7 duty system managed by Team Fostering’s Supervising Social Workers

Qualities of a Parent & Child Foster Carer

To be a Parent and Child foster carer you will need to be approved to do so at our Foster Panel. If the relevant experience is demonstrated throughout the assessment, a carer can be approved to care for Parent and Child immediately. Alternatively a foster carer can choose to look after Parent and Child as their fostering career evolves.

To foster a Parent & Child you will:

• have relevant work or life experience
• be able to observe and provide advice
• communicate well with children and young adults
• provide a safe and secure home environment
• manage any potential conflict
• be resourceful in your own home and community

If parent and child fostering is something you feel would interest you, please make an enquiry here.

What resources are available for anyone wishing to find out more about this?

If you would just like to find out more about fostering with Team Fostering you can email us on [email protected] or contact your local office.
 
Source:
http://www.teamfostering.co.uk

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