We're so happy you are considering fostering in Middlesbrough with us. When you foster for Middlesbrough Council, you give a local child a safe and caring home when they need it most. You help them stay close to their school, friends and everything familiar. You also join the largest fostering community in the area, working in partnership with a dedicated fostering team who are never far away.
Why foster with Middlesbrough Council?
We value our Middlesbrough fostering community and the professional contribution of our carers.
We recognise your care and commitment by offering:
● A generous financial support package
● A flexible and high-quality foster carer training programme
● Leisure benefits to help you make memories with the children in your care.
You are two of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. You have made me feel so welcome into your home and most importantly your family. I have never felt so safe or happy and I am so pleased I had the chance to meet you. Even though I am leaving I will never ever forget you ever. You are such an amazing person, you are so passionate and caring. I know you love what you do and can tell by the way you look after kids.
Amy*, 16, cared for by Middlesbrough Council Foster Carers
(*name changed for anonymity)
Fostering roles in Middlesbrough
We urgently need foster carers from all walks of life to care for babies, children of all ages, teenagers, and sibling groups.
Whether you're looking to start a new career in fostering, or you'd like to foster alongside your current job, choose fostering that fits for you:
● Full-time fostering
● Part-time and respite care
● Supported lodgings for older teens
Tailored support for foster carers
At Fostering for Middlesbrough, there is support throughout your fostering career. We recognise the different support needs of our foster carers. We'll work with you to tailor our support to ensure that fostering works for you and the children in your care.
Your council also provides out-of-hours social worker support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can feel confident that we are always there to help if you need us.
Middlesbrough fostering allowances
So that you and the child or young people in your care can live comfortable and fulfilling lives. You will receive an allowance for yourself and for the child/ren. Here are some real-life examples of allowances for different Middlesbrough Council foster families:
Foster family 1
A new foster carer looking after one young person aged 11 to 15 will receive over £20,000 per year tax-free. In this family, the foster carer continues to work as many children of this age are more independent.
Foster family 2
An experienced foster carer who looks after two children aged between 5 and 10 receives over £44,000 per year tax-free.
Foster family 3
A new foster carer who looks after siblings aged 13 and 10 receives over £35,000 a year tax-free.
To explore what fostering finances could look like for you we are here to answer any questions you may have.
You will also receive additional financial support beyond your fostering allowance to provide the child/children you care for with the same opportunities as other children. This includes:
● School uniform grants and emergency clothing allowances
● Start-up payments relative to the needs of the child, for essentials such as pushchairs and beds
● A mileage allowance
● Christmas, Birthday and holiday allowances
Fostering benefits for memory making
As a Middlesbrough Council foster carer, you can access a range of leisure benefits to help your family make memories:
● Enjoy your time together with money off big attractions like Go Ape and Alton Towers using your Max Card.
● Get moving in participating Middlesbrough leisure venues using your Active Card.
● With access to the Blue Light discount scheme, you can get discounts on all kinds of everyday and big-ticket purchases from high-street retailers to holiday providers.
Social workers you know, support when you need it
As an approved foster carer, you will get dedicated support from a social worker who knows you and the child/children you care for. Your social worker will also work closely in the same team as the social worker who knows the child/children in your care. Out of hours help is always available with a dedicated emergency team who provide emergency help, support and guidance.
Join Middlesbrough's welcoming fostering community
As you start your fostering journey, you can connect with a fostering buddy who has been in your shoes and can offer a listening ear, advice and support.
There's also a private Middlesbrough fostering Facebook community offering peer and staff support.
Your training and development
You'll have access to a professional training programme based on the support you need. Helping you to feel confident and prepared when you are looking after a child or young person.
Face to face training is provided by an experienced fostering manager and a trainer who is an ex-foster carer, so they understand what foster carers need.
They deliver face-to-face training at times that fit around your other commitments. These training sessions are flexible and take place during the day, early evening or online. You will also be able to learn at your leisure with access to an extensive e-learning training package.
There are informal workshops and more formal teaching sessions, including:
Caring for traumatised children
Life-story work
Autism and ADHD
Gender & identity
Children's mental health
The impact of trauma.
Relationships are key to supporting and training our foster carers and we prioritise our carers' wellbeing. 97% of our foster carers have completed two or more of our sessions in the last year. Foster carers consistently comment on how much they value the opportunity to learn in a face-to-face setting at times that work for them.
What Middlesbrough Council foster carers say
Our biggest regret is that we didn't start it sooner. If you can make a difference in a child's life it's all worth it. Watching the children develop is like watching a pan of popcorn - they all pop at different times and flourish. Living in Middlesbrough and looking after Middlesbrough children gives us the reward of feeling we are giving something and being a real part of our community. Helping the children and their families - it's what we love to do, it is our life. It has given us such a lot of understanding, empathy and pleasure. We feel that it is a real privilege and a pleasure to care for children who are the most important thing in the world to their families and to us.
Malcolm and Carolann, Fostering for Middlesbrough, carers for 23 years
Our social worker has been great. She's been with us through the whole process. Our first placement didn't work out quite so well. The kind of put us on the back for a little bit with some doubts about, well, maybe this wasn't for us, but Jane was great. She came out, talked us through it, and said, 'Okay, let's look at what does work for you'. But those fears pretty much went away, and the support you get from the social workers has been great.Sharen and Lee.
