Halfway March 2023

Fostering
Foster Carer Shortage!
Team Fostering are a local not for profit independent
fostering agency, who are wanting to raise awareness of
the shortage of Foster Carers in our Local Region.
Team Fostering recently hosted an event at the
Eckington Heritage Centre to answer any questions
about fostering and to help increase awareness in our
local area.
Each month Team Fostering Yorkshire and East Midlands
receive a high volume of requests for children who require
a foster home, however the foster care industry is facing a
huge crisis at the moment. There is a national shortage of
over 7,500 carers and it is becoming increasing difficult task
to identify a home that is best suited to the
children’s/young people’s needs and that is why it is
becoming more important to make people aware of the
massive shortage not only in our area but nationally.
Team Fostering believes that every young person
deserves the chance to feel loved and get the chance to
experience being part of a family in a safe and nurturing
environment.
What does not for profit independent fostering agency
mean? At Team Fostering it means everything goes into
supporting our Team Fostering Family (Foster Carers,
staff and our children and young people) we provide
24-hour support for foster carers, we have education
team, family support workers, Psychologist, extensive
training programme. Team also ensures our children and
young people have access to a family holiday by
providing and paying for a caravan holiday, providing
various activities during school holidays for all our foster
families (Jump, bowling, theme parks, pantomimes,
festive parties) we have a life skills programme and
independence residential for our older young people to
help prepare them for adult hood and many more
support groups.
What do you need to become a foster carer? Everyone
has the potential to become a foster carer if you are over
21, have a spare room, and the ability to offer a safe,
stable family life for a child/young person. Those suited
to becoming a foster carer will allow young people to
grow, become their own person, support them to go to
school, support them to maintain any existing
relationships that are important and provide the
opportunity to develop new friends. We do request
carers have access to a car to ensure all the child’s
transport and care needs can be met)
One of the current carers at Team Fostering, Helen, said:
“You don’t need any experience, you just have to be the
sort of person who wants to make a difference in
children’s lives.”
Do you receive payment to be a foster carer? We
acknowledge it cost to run a house and provide for
children and young people. Yes as a Team Fostering
Carer you receive a fostering allowance which varies
dependent on the age of the child, two thirds of the
youngsters currently with Team Fostering are over 11
and pay averages around £480 per week for looking after
a teenager.
If you have ever thought about expanding your family
and opening up your home to young people in need,
then now is the perfect time to get in touch with the
friendly staff at Team Fostering, who can help you with
your first steps to changing a child’s life.
Visit www.teamfostering.co.uk or phone: 0800 292 2003
Or if you have any events in which you think it would be
helpful for Team Fostering to attend, please let us know.
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Doorsteppa Magazines
www.thedoorsteppa.com • 0114 418 5359