Essex County Council are a Fostering Friendly employer. This is an initiative from the Fostering Network, the UK's leading fostering charity.
By becoming Fostering Friendly, local organisations can help raise awareness of fostering. By spreading the word, we can find more passionate people to become foster carers. This will give more children in Essex the chance of a safe home, and better future.
“By becoming Fostering Friendly, Essex County Council are showing respect and support for foster carers. Plus, of course, children and young people in their community will benefit too.
What is Fostering Friendly?
Becoming Fostering Friendly introduces a HR policy. The policy shows commitment to colleagues who are changing lives of vulnerable children.
For example, Essex County Council offer up to five days extra annual leave for foster carers. This extra leave will be used to complete foster carer training and meetings. This offers support from their line managers, team, and wider organisation.
By affording foster carers flexibility in their role, they can continue making a difference.
Essex County Council is the largest local authority in the UK to achieve this status. We hope their example will encourage other employers to join, and raise awareness of foster care. This will help recruit foster carers to provide loving care to local children.
How can we help your organisation?
Organisations must apply for Fostering Friendly status via the Fostering Network. To make applications as smooth as possible, the charity have provided templates.
As an approved Fostering Friendly organisation, we're also happy to support applications. Our marketing team can share insights on how we became Fostering Friendly. Plus, we can suggest ways you can help promote fostering with Essex.
Express your interest in Fostering Friendly, and we can share details. The approval decision lies with the Fostering Network.
How does it help foster carers?
Becoming a foster carer is a flexible role, but a big emotional commitment. Introducing a HR policy and embedding support shows respect for the role. Foster carers can expect honest, respectful conversations with their line managers.
You can be a foster carer from one weekend a month
This means employees and colleagues can help children, while balancing their job. Fostering Friendly employers offer flexibility and appreciation to employees who are changing lives. In turn, employees feel loyalty to employers who support their decisions.
Fostering fits into my life, and has greatly enhanced it too. It gives me the flexibility to care for foster children depending on my workload at the time.
Read Ruth's story, who became a foster carer while managing her own business.