You can foster in Bolton.

In Bolton we would particularly like to recruit foster carers who are able to care for:

• Brothers and sisters
• Older children and young people
• Children from BME communities in particular black children and increasingly those from new migrant communities
• Children that will be in foster care long term
• Children with additional needs. This might include behaviour that challenges.

Bolton values the contribution of their foster carers and offers a generous support package. These include:

• Generous financial allowance which will depend on your skill level and the age of the child you are fostering.
• Comprehensive training programme including the ‘Skills to Foster’ course and ongoing training and development opportunities.
• We offer support groups for carers of children all ages, a buddy scheme and a group for foster carers own children.
• A social worker specifically allocated to you. You can expect to receive regular meetings which are a chance for you to talk through any problems and share information about children in your care.

Staying local also includes additional benefits such as:

• Lower travelling distances, for example to school and meetings with birth families.
• Links with Children’s Centres, schools and other professional services.
• The benefits of your local authority’s knowledge and experience as our teams have often been working with the child’s families for a long time. Local authorities have a lot of important background knowledge which they can share with you. This also helps us to match children with the carers who are most suitable for them and their circumstances.
• You will work closely with Bolton council social workers and other staff. Working for a local authority means that you get to know the staff and build a relationship with them.

If you’d like to foster for Bolton please complete this form and your enquiry will be emailed to the local authority you have selected.