Teenager Foster Care
What is teenager fostering?
Fostering teenagers is an incredibly important and rewarding role. A loving home can make a world of difference to teens at a critical stage in their development. Teenager fostering focuses more on mentoring and preparing teens for adulthood. Many teenagers have faced trauma and instability in their lives, and your role as a foster carer is to help them feel safe and understood. By offering guidance, setting healthy boundaries, and giving them a loving home, you’ll help them build the confidence and skills they need to follow their own path. Fostering teenagers can be a remarkably fulfilling experience, and we’re here to help every step of the way.
What are the benefits of Teen Foster Care?
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Flexibility: Teens are more self-sufficient and require less hands-on support than younger children.
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Personal growth: Fostering teens teaches you new skills, perspectives and cultures.
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Fulfilling experience: You know that you’ve made a difference at a crucial stage in someone’s life.
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Financial support and training: You’ll receive fostering allowances to assist with the cost of supporting a teenager, as well as training that will develop a wide range of skills.
Am I eligible to be a carer?
Becoming a foster carer means offering a stable and caring home for children who need it most. To ensure each child’s well-being, foster carers need to meet some essential criteria.
You need to be:
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At least 21 years old
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A UK resident
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In good physical and mental health
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Have a safe, clean, and comfortable living space with a spare bedroom for the foster child
It is also really important that you have the right character. Our carers are kind, patient, friendly, dedicated, and mature enough to handle the demands of the role.
How to become a teen foster carer
Speak with Us
The first step is to get in touch! We’ll have a chat to learn more about you, answer your questions, and explain what fostering teenagers involves. This is your chance to find out if fostering is the right fit for you.
Home Visit
Next, we’ll arrange a visit to your home. Don’t worry - it’s not about perfection! We’ll check that your home is safe and has enough space for a teenager, and we’ll talk more about what fostering looks like day-to-day.
Application Form
If you’re ready to move forward, you’ll fill out an application form. This gives us all the important details about you, your family, and your background so we can get the ball rolling.
Checks and References
As fostering is such an important role, we’ll carry out thorough checks, including a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, and speak with your references. This is to make sure everything is in place to support you and the teen you’ll care for.
Fostering Training
Before you welcome a teenager into your home, you’ll attend our fostering training sessions. These are designed to give you the tools, knowledge, and confidence to provide the best care possible.
Panel Interview
The final step is meeting our fostering panel. This is a chance for us to discuss your application and for you to share why you want to foster. If approved, you’ll officially be ready to start your journey as a foster carer!
Other types of fostering
Therapeutic Fostering
Therapeutic fostering supports children with trauma or complex needs. It requires patience, understanding, and extensive training, but the rewards are life-changing.
Short-Term Fostering
Short-term fostering provides children with a home from a few days to several months. It’s a temporary arrangement that gives kids safety while plans are made for their long-term future, like returning to their birth family or moving to a permanent placement.
Emergency Fostering
When kids need a safe place in a hurry, emergency fostering steps in. These placements happen with little warning and are usually short-term, sometimes just for a night.
Still have questions about fostering?
Choose a date and time on the calendar below, and one of our fostering advisors will give you a call to discuss any questions you might have.