When you have made the decision to become a foster parent, you know that you are going to be experiencing a change in your life that is going to affect most, if not all, areas of your lifestyle. Because of this, you want to make sure that you are partnering with a foster agency that you know you will work well with.
Different agencies, while all meeting the same standards as laid out by the government, will vary. Some are larger, while others operate on a smaller scale. There might also be some differences when it comes to the overall placement process that you will have to undergo in order to become a foster parent.
It is important to make sure that you are comfortable with the manner in which a certain agency operates. In essence, the agency and you will be working together so as to create a safer, more secure home for the child or children that you foster.
With that in mind, if you are about to begin the process of becoming a foster parent, here are a few of the things that you should consider when choosing an agency to work with.
Region
The first thing that you will need to look into is the area in which a particular agency works in. You might have heard great things about a certain agency only to find that it doesn’t operate in your region. On the other hand, certain agencies like FCA have branches in a number of areas across the country.
Take some time to do some research to see what sort of foster care agencies operate in your area. With this list in mind, you can narrow things down further by investigating some more specific points.
Size
Another important question to look into as you are researching foster care agencies is the size of the agency that you have in mind. Some are rather large and operate on a big scale, while others are smaller community-driven agencies.
Remember that you are taking on a full-time job when becoming a foster carer. If you aren’t the sort of person who is suited to working for a massive organization, then perhaps a smaller agency is more in your comfort zone.
Type
There are two main types of foster care agencies in the UK. Some are run by the local council, and others are independent. Generally speaking, independent foster agencies work to place children that have been difficult or challenging for the local authorities to place.
On average, most people find that placement through a private agency is much faster than that of one that is run by the local council. However, if you feel that you will need the roughly 8 months that it tends to take to prepare to become a foster carer, then perhaps a council run agency would be better for you.
In the end, it is important to remember that becoming a foster parent is something that you should go into with as many bases covered as possible. This starts with being able to partner with the right agency for you.
