04 May 2023

Parent and child fostering in and around Manchester – what support is available and is it right for your family?

Parent and child fostering in and around Manchester – what support is available and is it right for your family?

Overview: Here, we will explore parent and child fostering in Manchester and the support available for Safehouses foster carers. We will also look at how much you get paid for fostering in Manchester and Rochdale fostering allowances. Plus, what disqualifies you from being a foster parent.

Parent and child fostering in Manchester 

There is an increasing demand for parent and child fostering across the UK. At Safehouses Fostering, we carefully match foster carers in Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale with parents and children who need this specialist type of care. 

Parent and child fostering is sometimes called mother-and-baby fostering. But the reality is it’s not just mums and babies who find themselves in need of a stable family environment. As a parent and child foster carer, you might welcome a mother and child into your home or sometimes a father and their baby or a family group. If you choose to foster with us, we’ll provide you with specialist training and support. So you can guide parents, help them to overcome challenges, and hopefully help families to stay together long term.

Support available for foster carers in Manchester

We’re proud of our therapeutic approach to supporting children and young people. We also work hard to ensure the support and benefits we can offer our foster carers in Greater Manchester, Oldham and surrounding areas are some of the best in the region. As a local independent fostering agency with decades of experience, we have vast knowledge to share with our foster carers. Our foster carers also benefit from our partnership with the Five Rivers Child Care Family, a fostering agency and social enterprise committed to turning children and young people’s lives around. Our partnership with them means we can offer support and benefits that go over and above those typically provided by other independent fostering agencies or local authorities. This includes:

FREE specialist training to support your development in the role and prepare you for the challenges of this highly specialised type of fostering.

A local office where you can connect with other foster carers and families who live nearby.

Education support from teachers who work with foster children to boost confidence and achievement.

How much do you get paid for fostering in Manchester? 

As a parent and child foster carer, you will provide support to families who are experiencing difficulties with parenting. They may be assessed while they try and resolve these difficulties. The aim is to ensure the child has the best chance of remaining with their family. As such, parent-and-child fostering is considered a specialised type of fostering. It requires enhanced training and offers an enhanced allowance for carers. 

Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale Fostering Allowances

We pay a generous fostering allowance so you can focus on providing those who stay with you with the the best possible care. Safehouses parent and child foster carers receive a weekly fee of £873.30 per week for one parent and one child. This amount increases if there is more than one child – in most cases this is tax free. For more information about the allowances available to parent and child foster carers, read fostering allowance and benefits. Or, get in touch with our carer enquiries team, who can answer your questions in more detail.

What disqualifies you from being a foster parent? 

If you’ve read about the benefits and financial rewards of parent and child fostering, you may now be considering if it’s the career for you. You might also be wondering if there’s anything that could stop you from being a foster parent. Foster carers from all walks of life – what is essential is that you can provide those in your care with a safe, loving home. But there are some factors that could disqualify you from being a foster carer. These are:

If you don’t have a spare bedroom for a foster child. We ask that you have a spare bedroom that is not used by anyone else.

If you’re under 21.If you’re still under 21, we’d love you to come back to us when you’re ready to start your fostering journey.

If you don’t have a full driving licence and a car. We ask that you can drive and have a vehicle. Being a foster carer means you often need transport for your foster child to take them to appointments or activities. 

If you don’t have the right to permanently reside in the UK. We will ask for proof of your right to live in the UK as part of the application process.

Want to learn more about parent and child fostering in Manchester?

If you think you’d be a good fit for parent and child fostering in Manchester and surrounding areas, or you would like to explore other types of fostering, you can read our pages about parent and child fostering and types of fostering.

To discuss whether you are eligible to be a foster carer, you can fix up an informal chat by sending us an enquiry. Or call us on 01457 359 032. We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have.