Could you help a young family to stay together?
Fostering can make a world of difference to a child or young person’s life, supporting their future independence. It’s also a rewarding career or vocation for those looking to make a change.
Calon Cymru has been supporting foster carers and looked-after children for more than 23 years, providing support and training to fostering families who take on a variety of fostering placements, from fostering teenagers, to parent and child placements and sibling groups.
Parent and child (P&C) fostering is unique, in that you don’t have to be as hands-on. P&C involves supporting a parent and baby, or a small family. It gives parents the opportunity to build valuable skills in order to look after their baby or young child themselves, with the help, support and encouragement of you, their foster carer.
You would guide the parent(s) to build the skills necessary to care for their child, over an initial 12 weeks. During this time, you will record observations to provide a clear and fair picture of how the parent(s) cares for the baby and any highlight areas they need further assistance.
As well as support from an experienced supervising social worker, a specialist placement support worker will provide additional assistance to work with the parent(s). Your observations will also be shared with other professionals; such as local authority social workers and health visitors.
P&C fostering enables the child to develop positive and strong foundations, free from abuse and neglect. Parents are provided with the opportunity to bond with their child in a calm and nurturing environment. It’s perfect for those who would like to give back to their local community, but perhaps are looking to take on shorter term fostering placements. Most of all, you would be helping to keep a family together, potentially breaking a cycle of neglect for their future generations.
Sharon Cavaliere, director of operations at Calon Cymru Fostering, said: “Parent and child fostering isn’t as well known outside of the fostering community, but it gets right to the core of why fostering exists. Some of the parents you might help will have come from very different backgrounds to your own. They may not have a positive experience or example of family life. Together, we can provide important skills for parents, creating a legacy of supportive parenting and stable families, reducing the number of children requiring foster care.
“Our P&C foster carers really are a much valued resource for parents and their children. By creating basic rules and boundaries, and passing on valuable life skills, they are helping to keep children with their parents, where it’s safe to do so.”
■ What’s next?
If you think you could help a family to stay together, contact the friendly team at Calon Cymru Fostering for an informal chat.