Parent & Child Fostering - real people
Jon and Sarah have been foster carers with Families for Children for over 14 years and have looked after more than 30 children and young people.
Six years ago they had their first Parent and Children placement as they were looking for a new challenge. They are now supporting their twelfth family and say it is "the most rewarding work we’ve ever done".
Sarah sees many advantages: "this type of fostering tends to be more ‘settled’ as there are detailed plans, expectations and timescales for both the parent and the carers from the outset. We are often much clearer about what has to be achieved and by when".
Jon and Sarah state that the biggest benefits for their family however come from having a baby in the house and seeing positive changes in both parent/s and baby over a relatively short period of time: "to see babies reaching their developmental milestones and parents gaining confidence is fantastic and gives us such a sense of achievement".
Jon and Sarah encourage parents living with them to take as much responsibility for themselves and their baby as is safely permissible. They obviously have their own bedroom, but the rest of the household is shared. As with all types of fostering, house routines and expectations are made very clear from the first meeting.
