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CALL FOR TEACHING PROFESSIONALS TO CONSIDER BECOMING A FOSTER CARER
Every day teachers are making a difference to the pupils they teach, so it is not surprising to learn that many of Foster Care Associates’ (FCA) foster families have a background in education and working with children. With a national shortage of carers, FCA would like to build on this trend and is calling on current and former teaching professionals who want to provide a safe and stable home to young people across the country to get in touch.
David Oldham, CEO of Foster Care Associates, said: “We’re continually seeking to attract new carers who believe they have the patience, understanding and determination to make a difference to young people’s lives. There are huge parallels between the motivation to teach and to foster, which probably explains why so many of our foster families have a background in education. Seeing young people make positive progress is the reward that carers and teachers share.
“Our carers come from a range of backgrounds and at different stages of life. From people whose children have left home and single people, to families with teenagers, there are all kinds of families and individuals who can begin the hugely rewarding journey into foster care. We'd love to hear from people who want to make a difference to a young person's life."
Andre and Angie Savchenko have built their lives around caring for young people both as foster carers with FCA and in their respective careers as a head teacher and classroom assistant. Andre explains why he thinks his experience as a teacher has benefitted his role as a carer: "We started fostering at the same time as I qualified as a teacher, so for me the two roles have always gone hand in hand with the experience from each role helping me to be better at the other.”
Sharon Hughes' career in teaching led her family into fostering. She now fosters alongside training teachers and carers in techniques to support the emotional wellbeing of young people. She explains: "Being a foster carer with a teaching background gives you the opportunity to educate a child in a different way and focus more on the emotional well being of the child. Fostering is a way of life for us and since we became FCA carers in 2011 we have become part of a wonderful network of carers in our local area who have become an extended family."
According to FCA there are many factors that make up an ideal candidate – everything from being adaptable, resilient and nurturing to being a good listener and having a flexible response to a young person’s needs.
From the very beginning FCA provides ongoing support and generous fees to all of its carers, throughout the UK, and is dedicated to providing all the advice they need to make a positive impact on the children they look after.
Anyone interested in fostering is invited to come along to one FCA’s many fostering information events. To discover upcoming events in your region, please visit www.thefca.co.uk/our-events or call 0800 022 4012.