Foster Care Associates Provides an Alternative Route Into Fostering Through Parent and Child Placements

BROMSGROVE, England, Jan. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Foster Care Associates (FCA) has stepped up its recruitment campaign to attract more parent and child foster carers across the south of England.

Foster Care Associates (FCA) has reacted to the increased demand for parent and child foster carers across the South of England through a refocussed carer recruitment campaign.

Parent and child placements are provided to parents and their children when there are concerns over the parent's circumstances and/or ability to perform the parenting role. It is the preferable option to residential care and/or separation of a parent and their child(ren).

FCA's parent and child fostering services provide the opportunity for parents to develop their skills in a supportive family environment. Carers provide advice, guidance and support to parents, as well as contributing to any ongoing assessment required.

Specifically, FCA is looking to recruit parent and child foster carers in London (Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond Upon Thames), Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, and the West Country.

All FCA parent and child carers are trained to the highest standards on all areas of caring, assessing and safeguarding. Carers are fully supported through a comprehensive network of professionals, receive up to 21 days paid respite, and access to a 24 hour helpline, 365 days a year. They also receive an increased fostering fee for providing a parent and child placement, reflecting the additional time and commitment required.

The type of parent and child placement provided by FCA depends on the needs of the parent and their child(ren). This includes 12 week assessment placements, pre-birth placements, and parenting support placements.

Lisa Ross, an FCA parent and child carer from Sussex explained: "FCA's parent and child placements bring a different set of challenges but it has opened up a new aspect of fostering for our family. I feel extremely rewarded when, with my guidance, parent develop their competence and begin to flourish."

Marie-Louise Allred, Marketing Manager for FCA adds: "FCA urgently needs parent and child foster carers who can keep a child safe while offering mum and dad the support they need to develop the life skills and confidence to become a competent parent. It helps if parent and child carers have previous fostering, childcare or nursing experience, but more important is personality, enthusiasm and the ability to make a full time commitment to fostering."

Parent and child foster care placements form part of the wider delivery of FCA's fostering services provided to over 140 Local Authorities across the UK. With a shortage of up to 10,000 foster carers nationwide, FCA is interested in speaking to anybody who is thinking of fostering in Kent, fostering in London, fostering in Croydon, or any other region throughout the UK.

About Foster Care Associates

Foster Care Associates (FCA), part of the Core Assets Group Ltd, is the UK's leading independent fostering agency, with offices operating throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Working in partnership with Local Authorities and Health Trusts throughout the UK, FCA aims to provide quality care in a family setting' for over 2500 foster children who are looked after by the agency's 2100 foster families.

SOURCE Foster Care Associates