Posted: Saturday 18th September 2021
All of our foster carers are different. When you apply to foster, we will guide you towards a type of fostering that is right for you. When you foster with your Local Authority, there is a huge choice of different types of fostering to suit you, your family and your availability. Here are some of our Flintshire foster carers sharing the type of fostering they do and why.
Fostering Babies & 0-4
“I'm Anne and I'm 41 years old. We have a five year old daughter in a local Welsh school and I'm home during the day. My husband and I decided to foster with looking after 0-4yr olds in mind. This age group is perfect for our little family; it often means 'short term' (anything up to a year) as they move onto adoption or go back to family."
School-age Fostering
“I’m Caroline and I’m 46 years old and I foster along with my husband Rob who is 49. Our daughter is 20 and currently at university. We foster school-age children.
I work every day and I do school friendly hours. This gives me the flexibility so I can do the school run and be home when they get back from school and college.
We fostered 2 girls who we continue to support as care leavers on the When I’m Ready Scheme. We also foster a little boy long term.”
Respite Fostering
"My name is Lindsay. I am 59 years old and live on my own. I work full time and I’m available most weekends.
As a respite carer it means that I foster at weekends and school holidays. The same girls come to stay with me one weekend a month. I collect them on a Friday and take them back to school on Monday morning. They have fun with me, we laugh a lot and they can talk to me.
When I retire from my job, I am looking forward to be able to do more fostering on a full time basis."
18+ When I am Ready
“I’m 43 and I work full time. I generally look after older children and young people. I support young people (usually around 17-18 years old) to find a job, attend college and learn life skills until they are ready to live on their own.
I also provide emergency, short term and respite foster placements”
Parent and Child Fostering
“We are well into our sixties and still going strong so don’t let age get in the way, Flintshire are brilliant to work for. I’ve cared for 18 mums and 2 dads as a parent and child foster carer.”
Whatever your circumstances, there is probably a type of fostering, or a combination, to suit you.
You need to be able to care for at least a 5 year age range, who are younger than other children at home. There’s NO-ONE TOO OLD to be a foster carer. If you are available during the day, that’s great! If you work, can you adjust your hours to do the school run? And if you can’t, can you offer support at the weekends and school holidays?
There are lots of reasons to foster with your Local Authority, especially that we offer a wide range of fostering to suit you and your family.