Fostering is caring for someone else's child on a temporary basis in your own home. Foster carers look after babies and children of any age including teenagers who are often distressed about being separated from their family. They need to care about children's feelings and to speak with children's parents about meeting their needs.

Foster carers are valuable people in helping to make care plans for foster children, working closely as part of the team with social workers and other professionals.

There are lots of reasons that children can become 'looked after'. Sometimes birth parents are unable to cope with raising children because they are mentally ill or addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Sometimes children have suffered abuse inflicted by their parents, or other family members, which means that their home isn't a safe environment for them to live in. This can include physical, mental, emotional or sexual abuse, or neglect - or a combination of these.

As a result, children have often experienced harm and rejection that has made them distrustful or fearful of adults, and we look for caring and loving foster homes to help them learn about and enjoy normal family life.