Frequently Asked Questions from people interested in Fostering

Q. Who can be a Carer?

A. Almost anyone can become a foster carer. Most importantly, we ask that you have the space in your home and your family to create the right caring environment for a vulnerable child and that you genuinely care about the welfare of children.

Q. As a Gay person can I become a Foster Carer?

A. Yes of course you can. Seafields do not discriminate against anyone because of their sexual orientation.

Q. Do you have to be married to become a Foster Carer?

A. No - Seafields Fostering does not make any judgments on your marital status. Seafields needs Foster Carers from all backgrounds and varieties of families. Anyone who genuinely cares about the welfare of children and is willing and able to develop the skills required would be considered.

Q. What if a placement doesn't work out?

A. We try to 'match' a child with you and your family as closely as we can. Sometimes placements do break down despite everyone's best efforts in which case, if things don't work out as expected, we will work with the Carer and the Local Authority to make alternative arrangements and make the moving on period as painless as possible for the child.

Q. Do you have to have had children of your own or work with children to be a Foster Carer?                               (Back to FAQ's)

A. No, but you must be able to demonstrate an ability to look after and provide safe care to children and young people.

Q. Is there an age limit?

A. There is no real age limit, as long as you are fit and healthy and are able to look after often very vibrant and energetic young people!

Q. What is the Form F Assessment?

A. The assessment process is comprehensive and designed to gather all relevant information on yourself and members of your household and consists of a number of checks, regular visits and training.

Q. What type of children are placed with Seafields' Carers?

A. Children and Young people aged 0-18 from all backgrounds some with complex histories and disabilities.

Q. Can 'Looked After' children share a bedroom with my own children?

A. No, all 'Looked After' children must have their own bedroom or share with their siblings.

Q. What support would I/We get?                             (Back to FAQ's)

A. Seafields Fostering provides Social Work support 24 hours 365 days a year as well as an 'out of hours' rota of qualified Social Workers. This support may range from advice to practical support. There are monthly Support Groups, regular supervision and training.

Q. What training would we receive?

A. To complete your assessment you will have already completed 3 days of training, this will be further enhanced by regular training workshops.

Q. Do I get paid for Fostering?

A. All Seafields Fostering's Foster Carers receive an allowance to care for a child.

Q. Do the children's parents visit our home?

A. All foster carers are expected to facilitate contact and should be willing to consider parents visiting their homes.

Q. What kind of children will I be caring for?        (Back to FAQ's)

A. The children who are placed with foster carers come from many social, ethnic and religious backgrounds. They may have experienced a variety of problems in their life. Many will be deeply upset about being away from their families and may be "difficult" to care for when they first come into foster care. However, this does not mean that all children in foster care are "problem children" and many, given sufficient time to settle, are likely to be as "difficult" as any other child. Therefore we carefully match the needs of the child or young person with the resources and skills of the carer and their family situation, ultimately, you have the choice whether or not a particular child will fit in with your family.

Q. Who can I turn to for advice?

A. All of our Carers are regularly visited by their own Supervising Social Worker. All these workers are suitably qualified and have considerable fostering experience. Carers are further supported by Seafields Child and Family Support Workers who can undertake direct work with the children in addition to providing intensive support to our foster placements. This holistic approach enables us to give the highest quality support to children with a range of behaviour problems in a family setting, giving them stability, security and the opportunity to heal. This support service is available to Foster Carers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Seafields also facilitates Foster Carer support groups where valuable advice an often be found from other Foster Carers.

Q. When the assessment has been completed how soon can a child be placed with us?                                                      (Back to FAQ's)

A. When the Form F Assessment has been completed, it is presented to an independent panel of people to approve your application. Once approved a child can then be placed, however timescale's vary as a child has to be matched to the Foster Carers and will be dependent on age, sex, locality etc.

Q. Can I become a Foster Carer if I have a criminal record?

A. Having a criminal record would not necessarily stop you from becoming a Foster Carer it would be dependent upon the nature of the offence and the length of time since the offence was committed.

Q. Are our own children and young people involved in fostering?