Becoming a Foster Carer

Foster families look after children on behalf of the Children & Young People's Service. Children who cannot live with their own families may need to live with foster carers for a few days or a few weeks or for the whole of their childhood. Foster children are all ages and have a number of different needs, for this reason we need a wide variety of foster carers, young and old, with and without children, single carers and married couples. We also need carers from a wide range of different cultures and backgrounds.

Foster care is different from adoption in that foster carers do not have parental responsibility for their foster child. Contact with birth family is often very important for a foster child.

Whilst a child is living with foster carers the Children & Young People's Service pays all the expenses of a child's care. Training and support is provided to help in this task.

Want to learn more? Watch the "Fostering in Leicestershire video" (.wmv Windows Media file - approx 40 seconds).

 

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