Fostering A Parent and Child

Training courses for foster carers

Fostering a parent and their child within a single placement is a complex situation with considerably more responsibility on the part of a foster carer. Therefore, this requires extensive and advanced foster care training. Although the arrangement could appear comparable to having two placements. The reality is that parent and child placements are wide-ranging with a very diverse set of requirements.

Such placements require the foster carer to monitor the child’s development as well as provide support for the parent throughout the placement. While foster carers will need to employ the skills and approaches from previous foster care training, with parent and child placements there is the added context of supporting vulnerable parents as they care for their child. This requires you to not only take into account the child’s needs but also the needs of the parent. Therefore, foster carers need an appreciation of the difference between caring for a foster child and caring for a parent and child placement.

Participants will learn how to make a preliminary assessment to determine whether a placement is right for them. This involves considering their own values, ideas and expectations, and understanding how this relates to the assessment of their own placement. Furthermore, the significance of attachment theory between the parent and child is emphasised. Methods to practice safeguarding in the home confidently will be covered. This includes the observation and documentation practices in preparation for the official assessment of the parent’s ability to care for the child. In particular, the importance of Placement Agreement Meetings.

The course is led by an experienced trainer who will guide the group through case studies and group discussions. This 1-day course meets the requirements of the Foster Care Training, Support and Development Standards:

  • Standard 1: 1(a, b), 2(a, b, c), 3(a, b, c), 4(a, b)
  • Standard 2: 3(a, b), 4c
  • Standard 4: 1(a, b, c), 2(a, b), 3(a, b, c), 4(a, b), 5(a, b, c, d)
  • Standard 5: 1(a, b, c)Standard 6: 1b, 2(a, b, c, d), 3(b, e), 5(a, b)
  • Standard 7: 1a, 2a, 3(b, d, e), 4(a, d) 5(a, e)