What is fostering? Is it the same as adoption?

No, fostering is where you look after a child as part of your family but they remain part of their own family as well, often having regular contact and going back there to live eventually. In adoption, the child becomes legally part of your family and you assume all the parental responsibilities.

Why are children fostered and what kinds of children are referred to modus?

Children may be fostered for all kinds of reasons: for example, bereavement, illness or family breakdown. In some cases, a child or young person may be removed from his or her family for their own safety. At modus, we are able to provide high levels of service and support to foster carers and the children in placement. We can, therefore, accept children who have complex histories and may display some challenging behaviour. Our carers receive high levels of support and training from us in order to help these children.

Are there different types of fostering?

Yes, children may be placed with foster carers on a temporary basis (short term) or for a much longer period of time (long term). You may also hear of placements described as permanent, where it is intended that the child/young person stay with the same foster carer until they reach adulthood. Some children need very temporary and regular placements away from their family and this is sometimes called respite fostering or short breaks. For children who are placed with a family until a permanent placement can be found, this is often described as a bridging placement.

Who can become a foster carer?

All kinds of people can become good foster carers: it does not matter if you are married or single, gay or lesbian, young or old. (See the separate section on What is fostering?)

Is it a full time job?

Some fostering agencies insist that at least one adult should be at home all the time and not go out to work. At modus, we are more flexible and it can be possible to combine fostering with going out to work, depending on the needs of the young person placed. What is essential, however, is that you must have the support networks available to ensure good full time care of the child and that your job, if you work, allows the flexibility to attend whatever meetings may be necessary for the child in placement. Sometimes, this is a very high level of demand and this will be explored with you in your assessment.

Do I get paid?

At modus, you receive a generous weekly allowance which considerably exceeds the recommended minimum allowance, which is to cover the costs of caring for the child/young person. In addition to this, you receive a weekly reward element which recognises your time commitment and skills. Foster carers receive favourable tax treatment on income derived solely from fostering.

Under a new tax relief introduced in 2003, foster carers whose gross receipts from foster care do not exceed an individual limit will be exempt from tax on their income from foster care.

Individual and more general advice on taxation is available from a number of sources including the Inland Revenue.

Will I receive training?

modus operates a rolling training programme that is individually tailored to each carer’s development needs.

For new and potential carers, we have a course comprising of six short sessions which will introduce you to the basics of fostering. This will also give you a chance to meet our social work staff and other new carers and get a taste as to whether fostering is for you. As part of this training, you will hear from one of our experienced carers who can talk you through their own journey.

Once approved as foster carers, the opportunities for training and development are plentiful. There is a good variety of training on offer and training is made as much fun as possible and also gives you an opportunity to meet with other carers and share your experiences.

What support is available?

We have social workers with a small caseload who will provide monthly supervision as a minimum, although the actual level of face to face and telephone contact is often much more than this. In addition, we have support workers who get to know the child/young person in placement and they will also visit on a monthly basis, to provide direct work with the child, as well as support and advice to you, the carer. We have a 24 hour on call telephone line so that you can always call for advice and guidance even when the office is closed.

So, what do I do now?

If you are interested in talking more to us about whether fostering is for you, you can fill in the online enquiry form or download the form and send it to us at our Head Office address:

modus, Highfield House, 185 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4QZ

Alternatively, you can email us at modus@moduscom.org.uk or telephone us on 01204 399514