Cheshire Foster Care Association

About the charity

Our aim is to provide help and support to all fellow foster carers and their families, including respite or kinship carers within the two Counties by way of practical help; telephone support, regular members meetings and where necessary offer to represent foster carers either individually or collectively with a particular issue involving the day to day challenges of today’s foster care.

Our support also extends to the Foster Service Provider by providing such levels of support that enhances and complements their existing systems. Other modules have been designed that can be outsourced as a resource not currently offered or provided by the Local Authority.

The Cheshire Foster Care Association membership reaches across both Cheshire Local Authorities with six satellite support groups - three for each new council, who provide local support to their own community. These six satellite groups make up the six Divisional Committees of the Cheshire Foster Care Association.

As an organisation we work closely with, but are not controlled by either Local Authority. We exist to represent our members whom we know personally, as every committee member is also a foster carer.

As a charity we are able to raise funds and apply for grants that allow us to provide the level of service to foster carers, foster children and carers' own families which the Local Authority is unable to do.

As a foster care association run by foster carers for the good of all involved with foster care, from foster carers to foster children, from Social Services and Local Authorities, to education and health departments, we do what we do best.... We care!

Promoting and publicising
We are telling the world about the amazing job that foster carers do, and persuading more people to think about becoming foster carers themselves.

The media and communications team is responsible for promoting fostering and the work of the Cheshire Foster Care Association through television, radio, magazines and newspapers, while our recruitment and retention work ensures fostering services use the most effective means of attracting and keeping carers.

Your donation could enable us to:

• Media train a fostered young person or foster carer, helping them to get their message across more effectively.
• Produce recruitment materials to help attract new foster carers.
• Identify and research case studies, allowing us to illustrate fostering stories with real life examples.

Campaigning and influencing policy
Our campaigning, lobbying and media work influence the agendas of local and central governments, helping drive through additional investment and policy change that makes a difference. Campaigns have strength only when they have widespread support. Your action, and your commitment to a future where every looked-after child or young person has a chance to thrive, makes all the difference.

Your donation could enable us to:

• Send a campaigning pack to a foster carer, enabling them to lobby their elected representatives and local press.
• Undertake a survey on an issue important to foster carers so we have the most accurate and up-to-date information to present to government.
• Prepare a consultation response to government; ensuring foster carers’ views are represented at the highest level by utilising the benefits of our affiliation to the Fostering Network.

Informing, supporting and networking
We support the foster care workforce with advice, resources, training and networking opportunities to help them transform the lives of children and young people in care.

Our information service helps 500 enquirers each year with a range of fostering queries, including many from prospective foster carers. Our publications team produces a range of resources, guiding foster carers through every aspect of the fostering process, while our training programme provides professional development opportunities for all those involved in foster care.

Your donation could enable us to:

• Send an information pack to a prospective foster carer.
• Develop a new training course to ensure foster carers are fully equipped to deal with the challenges they face.
• Produce a resource list on a specific fostering issue, such as managing behaviour or caring for refugee children.

Our work with young people
The young people's projects work with young people on a number of diverse and exciting initiatives, all aimed at allowing young people's voices to be heard.

Your donation could enable us to:

• Train a care-experienced young person to become a member of a fostering panel, helping them gain new skills and have a real influence.
• Facilitate a discussion group to discover the concerns of looked-after children.
• Provide guidance and support to young care-experienced parents, ensuring their children have the best possible start in life.