Becoming a foster carer in Birmingham

You can foster children in a variety of ways, including short-term (for a few weeks to months) and long-term (until they are old enough to live on their own), as well as in some specialised roles:

Emergency fostering

Fostering in Birmingham, children and teenagers who pose an immediate risk are frequently given only a few hours notice before being transferred into temporary care. The youngsters need help and consolation from emergency foster parents during this difficult and stressful time.

Step-up fostering

Many children and teenagers in foster care reside in residential homes, even if foster care is more suitable for them. Children who have been in residential care are looked after by step-up foster parents, who help them get acclimated to growing up in a family. Step-up foster parents must have prior experience dealing with or caring for children and teenagers who have special needs and/or problematic behaviours. In addition to receiving thorough specialist training and a support package, they are paid an additional allowance.

Parent and child fostering

Fostering a parent and child means allowing individuals the opportunity to better care for their infant or young child. Those who are required to finish this specialised programme are typically given a court order. Usually, a mother or father and their kid spend 16 weeks living with a foster parent. The foster parent will watch how they are raising their child and intervene to protect the child if necessary. This plan encourages parents to be better parents and keeps families together.

Support for foster carers

Applicants can choose from a variety of support services offered by fostering Birmingham Children's Trust.

Depending on the type of foster care agency and the fostering they do, how many kids they look after, and their ages, Birmingham Children's Trust pays all foster parents a stipend. Additionally, each applicant is assigned a dedicated social worker who provides ongoing guidance and supports both in-person and over the phone.

You must finish the Skills to Foster training programme before being accepted as a foster carer. Once you've been given the go-ahead, you can enrol in classes on a wide variety of topics, such as safeguarding, therapeutic parenting, paediatric first aid, autism, and attachment. Online and in-person training are both offered.

Foster parents can also choose a buddy who is a more seasoned carer and ask for advice and support as needed. There are regular support groups for foster parents that are offered throughout the city, as well as one for the birth children of foster parents.

A foster parent's responsibility is to give children, in accordance with their particular needs, a stable fostering family structure and a caring environment. You will be speaking up for that child and assisting them in realising their full potential as many of the kids who enter foster care are academically and socially behind their peers.

"It's amazing to watch a child change in your care, blossom, and come out of their shell when they feel safe and comfortable, and it's the reason why many of our foster carers still carry out their important work today," says one of our foster parents.

The application process

The application procedure in fostering agency for potential foster parents has been shortened by Birmingham Children's Trust to take just 16 weeks.