Fostering
Our next information evening will be at Brent Town Hall on Monday 25 January. Call 020 8937 4538 for more information. You can also download the fostering information evening dates for the next 4 months.
What is fostering?
Fostering is when you care for a child that is not your own for a period of time depending on the child's situation. The child will come and live with you in your own home and you will be responsible for all the child's needs. Fostering can be short term or long term and you will receive support and training from us to help you do this. If you successfully become a foster carer you will also be paid an allowance.
Why do we need foster carers?
We have approximately 300 looked after children in Brent. Many of these children will eventually return to their families and will only need foster care for a short period of time. However in some cases the child is unable to return home and will need to be placed with a long term foster carer until they are 18. Alternatively they may be adopted.
Children in foster care will have regular contact with their parents, siblings/extended family members. The parents will continue to have some responsibility toward them throughout their time with a foster carer.
What do foster carers do?
- provide a safe, stable and caring environment
- make day to day decisions about routine care and, if necessary, set boundaries
- work with social services and the child's parents, siblings/extended family to ensure contact where appropriate
- share relevant information with social workers if revealed by the child
- meet and adhere to the national fostering standards (.pdf, 304Kb)
In the online interview with Brent foster carer Cheryl Noel you can hear about her roles and responsibilities and the process of becoming a foster carer.
Private fostering
If you have already agreed to look after a child, or children, that are not your own, you may be in a private fostering agreement. You will need to inform us if you think this is the case. Similarly, if you have asked a friend to look after your child or children, you will need to let us know.
For further information please see the:
- Foster carers newsletter (.pdf, 843Kb)
- Information evening dates (.pdf, 713Kb)
- Guide about fostering for children aged 5 to 11 (.pdf, 1862Kb)
- Guide about fostering for children aged 11 (.pdf, 1362Kb)