What Else You Need to Know

Before making a final decision, you'll need to take one or two other considerations into account:

What Support You Will Receive

Once approved, every foster carer is allocated their own designated family placement officer whose job is to help and support you with the placement of any child or young person in your home.

In addition, each child placed in your care will have their own individual social worker. You will receive a copy of Swindon's Foster Care Handbook, and you will also become a member of the National Foster Care Association. This will give you access to a huge range of information and training opportunities. You will be encouraged to attend our regular foster carer support group meetings and will be expected to participate in appropriate in-house training.

All foster carers are subject to an annual approval review, designed to take into account any changes in family circumstances.

A fostering allowance is paid to cover the cost of caring. This allowance is based on the age of the child and is adjusted annually in line with inflation. In certain circumstances additional fees are payable.

The Child's Own Family

It is normally very important for children and young people in foster care to continue contact with their own family and social network. While children are in foster care, their parents have a right to participate in all major decisions about their care. Foster carers therefore need to be able to work closely with parents.

Sometimes there is a danger that the frequency of contact and involvement with their family may decrease with the passing of time. foster carers can therefore play an important role in ensuring that contact is maintained - for the sake of both the child and the birth parents. Only in exceptional circumstances would all forms of contact be deliberately severed.

Whatever the length of stay, foster carers play an immensely valuable role and have a valuable contribution to make to children in their care. They are therefore encouraged to attend all planning and review meetings relating to their foster child.

Still Interested in Making an Application?

If you are still interested, then you might like to find out a little more about the process involved and how to go about it by either contacting the Family Placement Team or visiting the websites of some of the national agencies which offer advice and guidance on fostering and adoption.

Further Information/Contact