£1,000 reward on offer for foster carers who help to recruit others
FOSTER carers in Derbyshire could be given a £1,000 reward if they help Derbyshire County Council find someone else to sign up to the scheme.
The authority’s cabinet has approved a plan to increase its “recommend a friend” bonus scheme, as it plans to expand its team of foster carers and find stable homes for more than 900 children in its care.
Prospective foster carers receive ongoing support throughout the assessment process plus training, benefits and a competitive package of financial support once they are approved.
Julie Patten, cabinet member for children’s Services and safeguarding, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to increase the ‘recommend a friend’ bonus for Derbyshire foster carers.
“We know our current carers are best placed to be ambassadors for fostering and that word of mouth is a really effective way for us to recruit applicants and the new bonus now reflects that.
“We also know that often an understanding of the role from a current carer is a great starting point as new applicants go through the approval process.
“As a foster carer in Derbyshire we’ll pay you fees and allowances and support you through every step of your journey.
“If you’re already a foster carer and know someone interested in becoming one too, we’d love to hear from them.”
Foster carers do not need any special qualifications, but they must be aged 21 or over with no upper age limit, have a spare room or space in their bedroom for a cot for a child under two, and they must go through a few initial checks before they are assessed.
To find out more about the initiative, visit derbyshire.gov. uk/fostering or call 0800 0837744.