Foster care
What is foster care?
Foster carers look after children, who can not live with their own families, on a temporary or permanent basis in their own home on behalf of the local authority. They do not have parental responsibility for the children as this remains with the birth parents. Sometimes parental responsibility may be shared between the birth parents and the local authority as a result of a court order. This means that important decisions about the child, for instance which school they should attend, continue to be made by the parents or local authority while the foster carers are responsible for the child's every day care and needs.
In the past when children were separated from their families they were usually placed within residential care units. Today, social care departments prefer a more family-based form of care – fostering.
For many of the children placed in foster care, it is a temporary arrangement and they will return to their own homes. Some, however, may go on to be adopted, move on to a permanent fostering placement or move to a residential unit, which will be determined according to the child' s looked after care plan.
You need to think carefully about why you want to be a foster carer. It is often not an easy job and can have an enormous impact on your family, especially your children if you have any.
Sometimes the children can have very difficult and destructive behaviour, you can be up night after night changing wet sheets, or comforting distressed children . You may have to deal with embarrassing public tantrums.
Fostering can also be hugely rewarding for both you, your children and foster children who can sometimes look back on the memory of your care as the one positive thing that made a difference to their lives.
Contact us
Fostering and Adoption Services in Walsall
106 Essington Road
New Invention
Willenhall WV12 5EX
Enquiries Freephone 0800 923 3706
All other calls 0845 111 2834
Fax 01922 493824
Email familyplacementsservices@walsall.gov.uk