Across England there is a huge shortfall of parent and child foster carers with Kent based charity Diagrama currently receiving twice as many referrals as two years ago.
The charity Diagrama is concerned that with the number of referrals for parent and child foster placements at an unprecedented level, they urgently need to fill this shortfall by finding and training new carers for this rewarding role.
Parent and child fostering provides a helping hand to vulnerable parents to develop and learn the key skills needed to raise their child. A parent and child foster placement is provided for mothers and or fathers who are unable to look after their child or children by themselves. The parent or parents and their child or children move in with their appointed parent and child foster carer to gain the practical skills and support needed to help them develop their childcare skills.
In some cases where there are serious concerns regarding either the parenting of the child or the parent’s ability to safeguard the child, and our foster carers can provide them with the practical skills and support needed to help them develop their childcare skills.
The age of the parents and children can vary, and they may need placements for various reasons including domestic abuse, trauma, or substance misuse. Families may be in the court system and the parent and child foster carer will contribute to the assessment of the family through written daily notes.
Margaret Gardiner, Adoption and Fostering Team Manager, Diagrama, said, “Parent and child placements are varied and are often not a straight teaching or assessment placement but a mixture of both. The Diagrama team recognise the complexity and diversity of this type of placement and know the importance of recruiting skilled and experienced professionals as parent and child foster carers. You can be assured that the Diagrama team will give you expert support throughout every stage of your fostering care. We are currently experiencing a twofold increase in demand and are very interested in talking with previous foster carers, social workers, teachers, midwives, police officers and health officers who are particularly well-suited and may have the skills we need for parent and child fostering.“
If you are interested in learning more about parent and child fostering, please request an information pack, by visiting www.diagramafostering.org.uk/parent-and-child-fostering
To view a video of experienced parent and child foster carer Margaret Gardiner talking about this rewarding role visit – www.diagramafoundation.org.uk/national-news/diagrama-fostering-launches-parent-and-child-campaign
About Parent and Child Foster Carers
Parent and Child Foster Carers will need to –
- Provide a safe, fully supervised, non-judgemental home environment
- Help them to understand their baby or child’s development, so they can confidently respond to their changing needs.
- Keep records and observations of their parenting skills, in case it is needed by the local authority to aid towards parent assessment.
Foster carers may also help the parent or parents with basic parenting skills
- Looking after their baby, including feeding , bathing and showing motional care
- Household skills including cookery and cleaning
- Attending meetings and appointments
- How to handle finances
About The Diagrama Foundation
Diagrama is a charity which supports vulnerable people through residential care, adoption and fostering across the southeast of England. The foundation has three small care homes for adults with learning disabilities, a 48-bed care home for elderly with nursing and dementia needs, three homes for vulnerable young people and a Supported Living Service.
Many vulnerable people live a joyless existence without hope and without a true identity or understanding of what is possible to achieve in life.
Diagrama know that when someone has time and belief invested in them they come alive, because that investment has made them feel valued and worthy.
By making the effort to discover the real individual within you can build trust and unlock their hidden potential, igniting a renewed sense of hope and ambition for their life otherwise lost.
Diagrama’s dedicated team provides person-centred, solution-focused services for vulnerable children and adults, because everyone deserves the chance to live their best possible life.
