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- Five Rivers Ireland
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Foster Carer Support Services
It is the belief of Five Rivers that for the very challenging children / young people we work with, we must provide a flexible yet consistent support service to our Foster Carers and their own families as a group and individually. It has to include consideration for the life cycle of their family.
Five Rivers does not accept the ‘conventional wisdom’ that as time goes on there is less need for support - we now feel that to reduce support can rapidly de-stabilise the foster placement. The infrastructure of support is essential to the success of the placement and is therefore available throughout the U.K.
The support provided to the Foster Carers covers a wide range of services, including the following:-
- Ongoing financial support commensurate with the task.
- A flexible support package which enables Foster Carers to have a respite service, an emergency stop over and / or time out for their family.
- Access to a range of experts on a consultancy basis where required including Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Educational Psychologists, Play Therapists.
- Ongoing liaison with the Foster Carers which is viewed as essential support not only because of the need to have information and discussions, but also because it recognises that different issues are relevant at different stages of development in the child / young person’s care and the family adjustment of the child / young person.
- Five Rivers provides membership of the Fostering Network and IFCA (Ireland) for all its families so as to link them nationally with other Foster Carers and provide them with an independent link to legal advice should they request it.
- Five Rivers also provides additional insurance cover for accidental and malicious damage and theft, and accident cover for all the children / young people who are fostered.
We believe that these services help families feel cared for and supported through some of their difficult times. Alongside the individual support packages mentioned is also committed to provide Support Groups as necessary to Foster Carers.
These support groups can include.
- General Support Group open to all
- Women’s Support Group
- Men’s Support Group
- Children who Foster Group
- Children who are Fostered Group
- Therapeutic Groups.
Five Rivers actively encourages its Foster Carers to attend support groups, recognising them to be of great value.
