Thinking about your New Year’s resolutions yet?

If your New Year’s resolutions are about making a contribution or giving something back, you could make a real difference to a child’s life by becoming a fostercarer. If you have never considered fostering or thought you would not be able to do it, you may be surprised. All sorts of people are fostercarers including single men and single women, married couples, same sex couples, lone parents, people who live in privately rented and local authority houses and flats, those on benefits and who are employed full time. Some of our fostercarers are in their early twenties and some are in the mid seventies; we judge each case on its merits.

There are not many reasons that will automatically disqualify you from fostering, but the critical reasons are: Space - you must have enough space in you house. Foster children cannot share a bedroom with a fostercarer; a child needs his or her own bedroom but can share with another child if the space is suitable. Heath - you must be in good health. Offences against children - you cannot have any criminal convictions for offences against children. Other offences will be assessed as to their significance to fostering; simply having a criminal offence will not necessarily bar you from fostering.

If you genuinely like children and young people, make your first New Year’s resolution to contact the Fostering Team to find out more about making a real difference to a child’s life.  Telephone: 0845 6011895