Hello – we’d like to tell you a bit about fostering teenagers.
Lots of our foster carers tell us they get so much out of fostering teenagers. Teenagers entering the care system have had a lot to deal with – many people think they are at fault if they are in care but that’s not how it is. Usually there are multiple reasons and they are there through no fault of their own.
Gill, one of our foster carers, says: ‘Don’t be concerned. There’s support there from the get-go. The teenager being fostered has a social worker but so do you – and they’re always there for you at the end of a phone whenever you need them’.
Making a difference to their lives is really important to all of us at Fostering North Yorkshire – to know they have broken out of the circle, that they will go on to be good parents to their own children, means the world to us.
Fostering isn’t just about providing a roof over their heads, but a home, a background and a family life. It’s so rewarding to see them grow up and move on in to the next phase of their lives.
Fostering North Yorkshire (FNY) is part of North Yorkshire County Council and its foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds and family make-up, but they all want to provide a secure and welcoming home for some of the county’s most vulnerable young people and give a teenager the best possible chance to turn their lives around.
As well as providing an essential service and getting huge emotional rewards in return, fostering with FNY also brings with it generous tax-free payments and allowances, and while this is not the main motivation for most foster carers, additional income streams can be very welcome.
A Fostering North Yorkshire accredited carer receives over £300 per week – around £16k per annum for a child aged 11 – 15. For more information visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/fostering or call Fostering North Yorkshire on 01609 534654.
