Warwickshire County Council is currently looking for foster carers who can look after a young baby and their parent in temporary and long term placements which support the whole family unit.The par...
Warwickshire County Council is currently looking for foster carers who can look after a young baby and their parent in temporary and long term placements which support the whole family unit.
The parent and child scheme is one of a number of foster care arrangements provided through the local authority. Parent and child carers support parents of young babies who have been identified as needing additional help to look after their child. The scheme offers a home to parents and their baby with a foster carer who will work closely with the family to provide guidance and advice, teaching the parents valuable techniques to safely look after their children.
“There is no better working experience or role that I can think of doing than that of a parent and child foster carer” said Ann* a Nuneaton based foster carer, who has fostered with Warwickshire County Council for two years, providing help to six families through the parent and child scheme.
She continued: “Fostering for parents and children through Warwickshire County Council has been so rewarding, both personally and professionally. I have worked with many families and really enjoy helping parents to build their parenting skills. I also enjoy the play time with babies and watching them grow.
“The scheme has also given me the opportunity to access training and gain a recognised professional qualification, I am currently studying for a Diploma level 3 which will help to enhance my understanding of a baby’s growth and development and will really benefit my role.
“Parent and child fostering has also been great for my family, my own children have become more understanding of caring and sharing and I also feel like I can spend more quality time with my children, more than I did in a 9-5 role.
“I feel a personal sense of satisfaction knowing I have helped others, but I am not alone in my role, I have a great team of professional support around me. I build and develop relationships with other professionals, parents and babies, their extended families and the wider community. I really enjoy seeing the parents’ confidence grow and it has also helped me to grow my self-confidence and people skills.”
Councillor Jeff Morgan, portfolio holder for Children’s Services added:
“We urgently need parent and child foster carers in Warwickshire. Becoming a foster carer requires dedication, which is greatly rewarded in the difference you can make to a family’s life. Our foster carers receive support and training throughout their career with us and this is a great opportunity to support families throughout our communities.”
The parent and child scheme is a full time, paid role and each carer will have an agreed number of placements throughout the year, with scheduled breaks between each.
If you’d like to find out more about fostering for Warwickshire, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering
To view the latest roles available for Parent and Child fostering, visit https://www.wmjobs.co.uk/job/59014/parent-s-and-child-assessment-foster-carers/
*Names have been changed