Could you Foster for Birmingham?
- Contact Birmingham Adoption and Fostering: 0121 303 7575
This page is known as: www.birmingham.gov.uk/fostering
At any one time Birmingham City Council is responsible for about 2000 'looked after' children. The Fostering Service tries to find stable, secure and caring homes that suit each child on a long or short term basis.
Fostering can be immensely rewarding. The rates that our foster carers are paid are very competitive.It can be the perfect choice for the right person or family. If you would like to find out more about what's involved and how suitable you are, we would like to hear from you.
When you foster children you look after them in your own home as part of your family, but they remain the legal responsibility of someone else usually their birth parents, but also Birmingham City Council.
Why not hear all about fostering 'from the horses mouth'? Watch our short film to hear all about fostering from a number of foster carers and a previously fostered young person.
Types of fostering
There are several types of fostering, which require different levels of time and commitment.
You can choose which is best suited to your lifestyle, but we have to make sure that what you are offering will meet the needs of the children in our care.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of fostering:
- Temporary fostering
Children join you at short notice and stay for a certain period of time, after which they return to their family, or move on to adoption or long-term fostering. Temporary carers will look after many different children in their careers.
- Long-term fostering
Children are carefully matched with you, and stay until they move out and live independently, usually at around 18 years of age. However, some fostering relationships continue into adulthood, as children develop a lasting emotional attachment with you and your family.
In Birmingham there are also other fostering options open to you, including Out-of-Hours Emergency Fostering and Respite Fostering.
Caring for a range of different children
Potential foster carers should expect to engage with children and families from a diverse range of ethnic origins, abilities and religious beliefs, and must relate to and care for children with totally different needs and personalities.
In your role as a carer, you will need to liaise with various other professionals. Besides caring for the child, you need to keep accurate written records of their progress, attend meetings, medical appointments (and court proceedings if necessary), escort them to and from school, and develop your childcare skills through ongoing training.
Adoption and fostering are private matters. Any information disclosed to the Adoption and Fostering Service is dealt with in the strictest of confidence. Birmingham City Council's Adoption and Fostering Service.
We have the information - We have the expertise - We have the children
Contact Birmingham Adoption and Fostering Service.