New Routes’ Foster Carers offer a safe and secure home where children and young people feel valued, respected, cared for and enable each child or young person to reach their full potential. Foster Carers take a close interest in the lives of the children and young people, setting appropriate boundaries whilst embracing the uniqueness, special qualities and talent of each child or young person.

There are specific tasks related to caring for a foster child that you will need to undertake. This can include:

• Being the child or young person’s advocate
• Supporting a child or young person’s educational, health and social wellbeing
• Keeping records
• Attending meetings and accompanying a child or young person to appointments
• Helping a child or young person to access resources e.g. play therapy and counselling
• Supporting a child or young person to maintain their religious and cultural identity through diet and celebrating cultural and religious festivals

You will also need to work with other professionals involved in the child or young person’s life. This may include Social Workers, health, education professionals and others that make up the team around the child or young person.

When children or young people live in foster care, it is important for them to keep in touch with their birth family – mum, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or grandparents – through regular meetings. Foster Carers play a big part in maintaining family links and ensuring that family time takes place and is positive.

Our pre-approval training course offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about what Foster Carers do before making a commitment.