If you’re a caring person, passionate to supporting children and open to learning new skills, then we want to hear from you! We’re looking for people who can give children of any age up to 18, a safe and happy home in Devon or in the South West Peninsula of England.
Foster carers come from all walks of life and to foster you will need to be at least 21 years old, have time to offer, be good working with/caring for children and have an identified spare room in your home. As a respectable national children's charity, our priority is to get things right for children and young people.
The children who need your care have been through tough times. Sometimes, they may need help managing their emotions, safety and behaviours and our excellent team can support you with this. We are looking for people who can offer any of the following types of fostering:
- Long term - This is when the child stays with a foster family for several years, or until they are ready and able to live independently.
- Short term - Sometimes, children and young people need somewhere to live temporarily.
- Planned breaks - Planned breaks carers play a vital role in supporting long term foster carers and children. Providing cover during holidays and occasional or regular planned stays.
- Parent and Child - Typically lasting around three months, this type of fostering involves safeguarding and supporting babies and young children whose parents are unable to safely care for them without help. The parent(s), who can be teenagers or adults ranging from 18 to 40+, live with you during this time, and care for the child under your observation and with your support.
- Short breaks - We also offer a short break service to children with disability and/or neurodiversity. Mainly this tends to be children with a learning disability. Short breaks offers a safe, positive home-from-home experience to children in which they can try new activities, develop their independence and have fun in another family environment. Each short break is for at least 24 hours, sometimes for two or more consecutive nights per month either at weekends, midweeks or school holidays. Please see our seperate advert for Short Break Foster Carers for more information.
Our office base is in Exeter and we have foster carers all over the south west, in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. We have a skilled team that will support you throughout your assessment and career with us. As a foster carer with Action for Children you will recieve:
- Excellent training.
- 24-hour support - foster carers have their own supervising social worker who will support you throughout, plus access to our out of hours telephone support service.
- Further multi-professional support from an experienced Paediatric Nurse, Child & Family Practitioner and a Transitions Worker.
- Access to Changing Minds UK Psychology service. Carers can access sessions with a clinical psychologist to better understand a child’s needs and behaviours and receive advice about different approaches.
- Support groups - carers are invited to bi-monthly support groups and have the opportunity to meet with other foster carers.
- Events - we arrange events throughout the year for children and carers. This gives the children and carers the opportunity to mix and have fun with other foster children and families.