Fostering - Can you see through the teenager to the child in side?
Ever considered becoming a foster carer but don't know where to start? North Ayrshire Council has launched a new recruitment campaign to encourage more people to consider fostering older children and teenagers. A new and improved recruitment pack includes everything potential foster carers need to know about what to expect and how to get started.
The Fostering Xtra campaign runs from the 30th January through to the 13th February this year and aims to encourage more foster carers to come forward to support older children and teenagers. While there has been an increase in the number of foster families in North Ayrshire recently, there is still a shortage of those who would be prepared to take on older children. North Ayrshire Council's Recruitment and Training Officer, Justine Young, hopes the new pack will encourage more families to consider fostering a teenager.
She said: "The new pack is much more detailed and outlines everything a potential foster carer needs to know about getting started, what to expect and the support available. But there is no obligation for people who take a recruitment pack to continue with the process if they do not feel it's for them. We are currently looking to recruit new foster carers and respite carers for our Fostering Xtra scheme, which offers older children the opportunity to live in a family rather than a residential unit."
The Fostering pack offers details on the comprehensive support packages available to those who are considering fostering. This includes one-to-one support from an allocated worker, regular foster carer support groups, ongoing training, a competitive fee which is paid 52 weeks of the year in most cases, and financial allowances to cover to cost of caring for the child.
Anyone interested in fostering young people, particularly those aged 10 plus, can download the recruitment pack.