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Hertfordshire County Council
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Keep us together

If siblings are kept together in foster care, they can support and provide comfort to each other at a time of uncertainty.

 

Could you keep brothers and sisters together?

  • We have a shortage of foster carers for siblings in Hertfordshire.

  • More than half of the 1,000 children in care in Hertfordshire are siblings.

  • 56% of our sibling groups are split up as we do not have enough foster carers who can cater for or wish to look after siblings.

 

Is fostering siblings right for me?

To be a foster carer for siblings, you:

  • Must be confident to be able to foster more than one child.
  • Will need to provide a spare room for each sibling. Some same sex siblings can share a room.
  • May have brought up your own children and be experienced in dealing with siblings’ issues.
  • May simply have a passion for helping to keep brothers and sisters together.

Can I foster?

As a foster carer, you can:

  • Continue to work, depending on the type of fostering you want to do and the needs of the children you care for
  • Apply to foster whatever your cultural, ethnic, religious background or sexuality
  • Be any age over 21 years, as long as you're in good general health

Foster carers come from a variety of backgrounds and have different life experiences, skills and qualities to meet the diverse needs of children in care.

 

Meet some of our amazing foster carers who help to keep siblings together

Nicole

 

Dawn

 

Lorraine and Paul

 

 

Training and Support

  • You will receive specialised training to foster siblings. We'll be there to guide you through every step of the fostering process from preparation training to get you started to ongoing development.
  • We offer 24/7 local support. If you need us we're always here to help. You will have a dedicated social worker, providing regular monthly supervision and an experienced foster carer buddy who'll offer additional support.
      We’ll help you be the best foster carer you can be.

 

Pay and Allowances

As a foster carer, you’ll receive a weekly payment for your skills, plus a weekly allowance for each child you look after.

To help cover the costs of looking after a child, you'll also receive:

  • generous mileage allowance
  • setting up fee for furniture and equipment
  • 2 weeks additional summer payments
  • holiday and birthday allowance
  • initial clothing and school uniform allowance
  • festivities allowance
  • discounts online and in high street stores through Herts Rewards.

Payment for foster carers

 

Get in touch

Fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch for an informal chat. We can send you a link to download our information pack.

 

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