We need foster carers from diverse backgrounds with a variety of skills and experience, who can use their life skills to care for Luton’s children and young people who have had very different experiences.
Why do children need foster care?
There are many reasons why children require foster care. Some just need a bed for a few nights whilst we help their parents through a crisis, whilst other children and young people may require care and support after a family breakdown or they are victims of abuse or neglect, hence may need the foster care for a longer period of time.
They all need a safe, stable, secure and nurturing home that you can provide. As a foster carer, you will look after the child until they can go back to their family or until they find a new permanent home, this could be overnight, for a couple of weeks or months or long term.
Why foster with Luton Council?
Our friendly fostering team will be on hand to help you every step of the way. You’ll receive all the resources and advice you need to care for a child, as well as regular contact with a supervising social worker who will provide practical guidance and support.
We will support you financially. Foster carers receive a weekly allowance to cover the costs of each child in your care and this varies according to the age of the child. Foster carers are also paid a personal allowance based on their training and experience. We’ll make sure your expenses are paid promptly and we will keep you up to date with training opportunities
A variety of fostering opportunities
We have a number of different types of fostering schemes to meet the varying needs and situations of children and young people. We can discuss with you which type of fostering may best suit you.
- General foster carers – foster full time with the option to choose short or long-term placements
- Respite carers – provide short-term cover, eg overnight stays, weekend cover and/or holiday periods
- Parent and child carers – offer a placement to a young mother and their baby
- Foster carer plus – foster full time and provide care for a teenager with complex needs and/or challenging behaviours
What are we looking for?
You will be responsible for the child or young person’s day-to-day care, supporting them in their education, helping them develop positive relationships and life skills and looking after their health and overall wellbeing.
You don’t need any specific qualifications, just the time and energy to commit to caring for a child, as well as patience, understanding, and compassion and also be a good listener.
You don’t need to own your home but you will need to have a spare bedroom in your home.
Don’t rule yourself out!
There isn’t an upper age limit to becoming a foster carer, but you will need to be over 21.
We welcome single people and couples whatever their cultural, ethnic, religious backgrounds or sexuality.
It doesn’t matter if you have children or have no previous experience parenting and you can continue to work depending on needs of the child and the type of fostering you want to do.
Take the next step to help transform a Luton’s child life
If you would like to learn more about our fostering opportunities, call our fostering team on 01582 547633 or email [email protected].
You can also find lots of information on our website at luton.gov.uk/fostering including the application process, what our foster carers say about their experiences and our training and development opportunities.
