Skills to Foster Training 2012
The course takes place over a nine week period each Wednesday evening from 18:00 - 20:30
Course 1 - Wednesday 4th January to Wednesday 7th March
Course 2 - Wednesday 14th March to Wednesday 9th May
Course 3 - Wednesday 23rd May to Wednesday 25th July
Course 4 - Wednesday 5th September to Wednesday 7th November
Max Cards
Max Cards enables looked after children to access culture in their own area by offering cardholders free or discounted entry to participating attractions across the North East. Eligible families will automatically receive their cards in April-May of each year.
Max Card [external link]
What is foster care?
The aim of Darlington Borough Council Children’s Services is to try and keep families together. However, there are times when this may not be possible. Foster Care is a service provided for children and young people who are unable to live with their own families.
Foster carers are people approved by the council to look after children in their own homes up to the age of 18; the length of time that children stay with foster carers can vary from child to child. Foster carers provide a stable, protective environment for a child or young person until the time is right for a child to return home or move onto a permanent family.
There are three different types of foster care:-
- Short breaks - this involves having children to stay with you for a short time so that their families can have a regular break. This could involve a few hours a week to a weekend a month, and in an emergency provide help and support. The most important aspect of short breaks is that it gives children the opportunity to establish a close relationship with another adult and to feel there is another person who cares about them.
- Short term fostering - this is when a foster family cares for a child due to difficulties or illness in the family, ranging from an overnight stay to a few weeks or a few months. Offering a safe place for them to live, you will help them to understand what is happening and be able to offer support, whilst everything is being done for the child to return home as soon as possible.
- Long term fostering - sometimes a child may need to move into a foster family for a longer period of time because they cannot be cared for within their own family. Foster carers can help by offering a child the chance to grow up in a safe and supportive environment, receiving the appropriate care and wherever possible the opportunity to keep in touch with their family.
Families to suit everyone
Darlington Family Placement Service has many families who enjoy fostering and there is no such thing as a typical foster carer, each individual has unique skills and experience. Foster carers can be:
- single, married or with a partner
- male or female
- parents or not
- employed or unemployed
- a tenant or a homeowner
- from any cultural background
- live in a variety of locations in and around the Borough of Darlington
The social workers from the fostering service are responsible for matching the child or young person to a family, ensuring all the needs of the child will be met within that family. Children in foster carer are 'looked after' children and will be visited and reviewed by social workers on a regular basis. Any children placed with a family will have detailed Care Plans any support services needed to meet the child's needs will be included in the plan.
Contact with parents
When children and young people are being cared for in a foster family, contact with their parents and siblings, if agreed, is important. Foster carers may on occasion be involved in transporting the child to see the parents in some cases, may allow parents to visit their home.
Contact details
Family Placement Service
The Old Gym
Central House Annex
Gladestone Street
Darlington
Tel: 01325 388077
e-mail: Fostering@darlington.gov.uk
Children’s Complaints Officer - 01325 388979
Alternative formats/translations
If English is not your first language and you would like more information about this document, or if you require information in large print, Braille or on tape please contact the Family Placement Service on 01325 388077.