Foster Care Associates Provides an Alternative Route Into Fostering Through Parent and Child Placements

<div> <p><span class="xn-location">BROMSGROVE, England</span>, <span class="xn-chron">Jan. 28, 2011</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Foster Care Associates (FCA) has stepped up its recruitment campaign to attract more parent and child foster carers across the south of <span class="xn-location">England</span>.</p> <p>Foster Care Associates (FCA) has reacted to the increased demand for parent and child foster carers across the South of <span class="xn-location">England</span> through a refocussed carer recruitment campaign.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thefca.co.uk/authorities-and-trusts/fostering-services/parent-and-child-placements" target="_blank">Parent and child placements</a> are provided to parents and their children when there are concerns over the parent's circumstances and/or ability to perform the parenting role. It is the preferable option to residential care and/or separation of a parent and their child(ren).</p> <p>FCA's parent and child fostering services provide the opportunity for parents to develop their skills in a supportive family environment. Carers provide advice, guidance and support to parents, as well as contributing to any ongoing assessment required.</p> <p>Specifically, FCA is looking to recruit parent and child foster carers in <span class="xn-location">London</span> (Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond Upon Thames), <span class="xn-location">Kent</span>, <span class="xn-location">Surrey</span>, <span class="xn-location">Sussex</span>, <span class="xn-location">Brighton</span> and Hove, <span class="xn-location">East Sussex</span>, and the West Country.</p> <p>All FCA parent and child carers are trained to the highest standards on all areas of caring, assessing and safeguarding. Carers are fully supported through a comprehensive network of professionals, receive up to 21 days paid respite, and access to a 24 hour helpline, 365 days a year. They also receive an increased fostering fee for providing a parent and child placement, reflecting the additional time and commitment required.</p> <p>The type of parent and child placement provided by FCA depends on the needs of the parent and their child(ren). This includes 12 week assessment placements, pre-birth placements, and parenting support placements.</p> <p><span class="xn-person">Lisa Ross</span>, an FCA parent and child carer from <span class="xn-location">Sussex</span> explained: "FCA's parent and child placements bring a different set of challenges but it has opened up a new aspect of fostering for our family. I feel extremely rewarded when, with my guidance, parent develop their competence and begin to flourish."</p> <p><span class="xn-person">Marie-Louise Allred</span>, Marketing Manager for FCA adds: "FCA urgently needs parent and child foster carers who can keep a child safe while offering mum and dad the support they need to develop the life skills and confidence to become a competent parent. It helps if parent and child carers have previous fostering, childcare or nursing experience, but more important is personality, enthusiasm and the ability to make a full time commitment to fostering."</p> <p>Parent and child foster care placements form part of the wider delivery of FCA's fostering services provided to over 140 Local Authorities across the UK. With a shortage of up to 10,000 foster carers nationwide, FCA is interested in speaking to anybody who is thinking of <a href="http://www.thefca.co.uk/find-your-local-office/fostering-in-england/fostering-in-kent" target="_blank">fostering in Kent</a>, <a href="http://www.thefca.co.uk/find-your-local-office/fostering-in-england/fostering-in-london" target="_blank">fostering in London</a>, <a href="http://www.thefca.co.uk/find-your-local-office/fostering-in-england/fostering-in-london/Fostering-in-Croydon" target="_blank">fostering in Croydon</a>, or any other region throughout the UK.</p> <p>About Foster Care Associates</p> <p>Foster Care Associates (FCA), part of the Core Assets Group Ltd, is the UK's leading independent fostering agency, with offices operating throughout <span class="xn-location">England</span>, <span class="xn-location">Wales</span>, <span class="xn-location">Scotland</span> and <span class="xn-location">Northern Ireland</span>. Working in partnership with Local Authorities and Health Trusts throughout the UK, FCA aims to provide quality care in a family setting' for over 2500 foster children who are looked after by the agency's 2100 foster families.</p> <div class="divOverflow"> <div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"> <table style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"> <colgroup> <col style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2pt; PADDING-TOP: 0pt"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">PR Contact: </span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Rob Bloom</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Online Copywriter </span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">FCA Central Services</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Malvern View</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Saxon Business Park</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hanbury Road</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Stoke Prior</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bromsgrove</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">B60 4AD</span><br /><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">01527 556480</span><br /><a class="prnews_a" href="http://www.thefca.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><font color="#000000">www.thefca.co.uk</font></span></a></p> </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> <p></p> </div>