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Next Steps

What training and support will I get?

Training

If you decide to become a foster carer you will receive a comprehensive preparation training in addition to a personal development plan that identifies you specific learning needs and further development for meeting the needs of the child or young person in your care.

Every year we’ll ensure you’re up-to-speed on all the latest best practice and news. The training comes in the form of courses, workshops including online courses and covers all the issues and areas that are crucial to the development of your skills as a foster carer.

Within your first year you will be supported to complete your Training Support and Development (TSD) portfolio in line with the Children’s Workforce Development Standards (CWDC). There are also advanced training opportunities that lead to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

Support

Once you have received all the training and feel ready to foster, you will have your own supervising social worker. This is a social worker who will be your personal contact for advice and support. This person won’t be the same social worker who works with the child you are fostering.

There is lots of individual support for you and for your foster child. Your supervising social workerwill visit you at least every three weeks and is at the end of a phone or email whenever you need them. Even on Bank Holidays and weekends there will be someone to help you if you need advice and support.

If you have your own children then there is also training and support for them.

Haringey Foster Carers Association is an organisation which also aims to support you if you decide to become a foster carer. They offer specialist support groups and also provide additional training. You can download their leaflet in the attached files section below

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Is it a full time job?

Looking after children takes up a lot of time. Even if the children you foster are at school for most of the day, you need to make sure the child you look after is clean and properly clothed, has a good diet, keeps up with school work, keeps in touch with family and friends, feels safe and also, has fun.

We know it takes a lot to make sure all of this happens. We wouldn’t say fostering is the same as a full time job, but it takes a lot of time and commitment.

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Will I be paid to be a foster care

In recognition of the invaluable work that our foster carers do, we give our foster carers a generous fee in addition to a weekly allowance per child looked after. The level of allowance varies slightly according to the age of the child that you foster.

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Will I lose any of my benefits if I get paid for being a foster carer?

No. Neither your allowance nor your fee will affect any benefits that might be getting.

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I’m interested what next?

Download a pack from the attached files section below. Please register for one of our monthly information sessions.

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Our contact details

You can contact us in a number of ways:

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The following links are not part of the Haringey Council website. Please read our legal disclaimer before using these links

Page Last Updated: 2 December 2011

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