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Fostering in Burnley There is no better gift to give a child than a family Fostering in Burnley There is no better gift to give a child than a family

Getting started with fostering

How to become a foster carer in Burnley

There are a number of things involved in the process. Normally this can take from 3-6 months depending on how quickly we receive these checks and other related actions to become a foster parent. The process can be completed on a timely basis, we have excellent experience of assessments, we have approved over 1,000+ foster carers. Sunbeam's professional team will be there to help and support you at every step.
You will receive full support at all stages and help with anything you are unsure of.

Fostering in Burnley

Sunbeam Fostering Agency

Become a foster carer in Burnley with Sunbeam Fostering Agency. Do you live in Burnley? And looking for a local fostering agency with whom you want to become a foster carer? We offer up to £700 per child per week with excellent support in Burnley.

Sunbeam provides local support for carers in Burnley and surrounding areas through our resource centre in Blackburn. This means you will have a supervising social worker local to you and available to support you if you need them. Also, we have a support team available on a 24/7/365 basis who will help and support you while fostering with Sunbeam.

Sunbeam Fostering Agency is one of the largest and most progressive independent fostering agencies in England, we have many offices and support centers in different locations to make it easier for all our foster carers. Please visit our contact us page to locate the nearest Sunbeam office to you.

Fostering in Burnley

Reason why you should choose us

At Sunbeam, we are proud of our standards and the support and training that we provide to our foster carers. We are driven by children’s needs.

Don’t hesitate, contact us for better help and services. Call us at 020 8799 0930 write to us at info@sunbeamfostering.com

Simple process

Steps to become a foster carer

The process of becoming a foster carer is summarised below. Click each step for information to be displayed below. You will receive full support at all stages and help with anything you are unsure of.
01
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Make an Enquiry
Call us or complete an online enquiry form Sunbeam will contact you for an initial discussion and arrange for an enquiry form to be completed over the phone or online.
02
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Initial Home Visit
A worker from Sunbeam will visit to discuss fostering with you further, to gather some background information about you and your family and to check you have appropriate bedroom space in your home and discuss any other Health & Safety related issues.
03
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Preparation & Training
You will receive specific training through a three day training course to prepare you to foster and to achieve “Skills to Foster”. Attending courses will also allow you to meet other carers, share experiences and learn more about foster care.
04
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Approved
The Agency decision maker will have the final decision regarding your approval. Once approved you will then be a registered carer with Sunbeam Fostering Agency, and be able to take “looked after children” and young people into your home and care for them.

Apply To Become a Foster Carer

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    What foster carers are saying about us!

    Fostering in Burnley

    Frequent Questions

    We have answered a few common questions about fostering
    01. Do I need to be married to become a foster parent?
    No. You can be married, single, divorced or living together. The main thing that you need is to be able to provide a safe and supportive environment for your foster child.
    02. I work, am I still able to become a foster parent?
    Yes, you would be able to work part-time if you are a single foster parent to ensure that you are able to fulfil your commitments, you would need to make sure that your working arrangement is flexible so that you can tend to any emergencies that would arise with a foster child if needed. If you are a couple who have decided to become foster parents you would need to make sure that one of you is available at all times. This could be making sure that working hours don’t clash or maybe that one parent works while the other is home based to care for the foster child or children.
    03. I am renting, am I still able to foster?
    Yes, it does not matter if you are renting or own your home, this will not affect your application to become a foster carer. As long as you have a spare room in your home dedicated to accommodating foster children owner status is not a problem.
    04. I have tenants/lodgers. Can I foster?
    You can still consider a career in foster care. However, you will not be able to continue to have a tenant or lodger in the property. Foster carers receive the fostering allowance if they have a child or young person in placement. Please see ‘Fostering allowance’ for further information.
    05. Will my race or religion be an issue?
    No, diversity is very important as the foster children come from a variety of backgrounds. People of all races and faiths are needed to foster children.
    06. Do I need any qualifications?
    There are no special qualifications needed to become a foster carer, as any parent will tell you, children do not come with a manual. What you do need is a positive attitude, patience and understanding along with time and plenty of energy to devote to your foster children. This is a job like no other and the most important qualifications you can hold are people skills and empathy. A love of children is, of course, essential and the ability not to take things personally.
    07. I’m old! I want to foster, how do I apply?
    Once you have decided to become a foster parent, the first step would be to contact your local authority or the fostering agency you will have an initial chat with the application manager who will run through the process and answer any questions and address any concerns that you may have. The next stage would be for an assessor to visit you at home and get to know a little bit about you and find out more about your reasons for wanting to foster, they will also assess the suitability of your home. You will be given the opportunity to ask any questions and to address anything that you are unsure about. After this visit with you still wanting to go ahead and become a foster parent, you will be asked to fill in the official paperwork and this is where the serious application process begins.
    08. What can I expect once I have applied to become a foster parent?
    Once you have submitted your application form and this has been accepted a Form F assessment will be completed on the fostering household. Paying particular attention to the skills, experience and knowledge of the applicants who want to become foster carers. Once this is completed, the Form F assessment is presented at the panel who will recommend the applicants’ suitability to foster to the Agency Decision Maker, who makes the final decision. Please see our guide to foster for more information.
    09. How long does this take?
    We do our best to process all applications as quickly as possible, usually in six months but more often between three to four months.
    10. If I am approved, what happens next?
    Once you are approved, you will be added to the list of available foster carers that the placement team will use to match and place a child in your care. Once a suitable child is matched with yourself, you will be allocated a Supervising Social Worker who will undertake an induction to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the fostering task in preparation for your first placement.
    11. Will I receive any training?
    Yes, once you have been approved as a foster carer you will receive initial training and you will be given regular training sessions throughout the year. These will be a mix of new subjects and refresher courses. You will also be given the opportunity to gain an NVQ 2, 3 and 4
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