Training for foster parents
Developing everyone to their full potential
Here at ACS, we’re proud to specialise in matching children with families who are able to care for their religious, ethnic and cultural needs. Whether that means a child lives with a family who share their background, or that they become part of a family who have a deep understanding of their cultural needs, we work hard behind the scenes to provide all of our foster parents with the training, support and guidance they need.
Everything we do is geared towards helping children to find families who can fulfil all of their needs, and we believe that training is a big part of that. By giving our foster parents the skills they need to foster with confidence, we can help more children to find the right loving and supportive home for them.
Preparing to foster
As you progress through your fostering assessment and approval process, you’ll take part in mandatory pre-approval training, Prepare to Foster which we hold at your local ACS office. This mandatory training runs over three days. During this time you’ll learn all about the ins and outs of being a foster parent, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn lots about the psychology of trauma, childhood development and supporting good behaviour. You’ll also learn parenting skills which are essential for all foster parents.
Our training tends to be mid-week and is organised to fit in with school hours. Everyone applying to foster needs to take part in this training— that means that if you’re planning to become the full-time foster carer while your partner works outside of the home, you’ll both still need to attend the training in order to foster.
Make new friends
One of the most exciting parts of your preparing to foster journey is that you’ll have the opportunity to meet and bond with other foster parents just like you. This is a great chance to make new friends who you can rely on for support, advice and catch-ups over tea and coffee when you need them. We also host fantastic support groups for our foster parents.
Becoming a part of your fostering community is an excellent way to boost your mental health and that of those around you as you form friendships. By meeting other families at our regular family fun days and events, you’ll also give the children in your family— whether your biological children or the children you care for— the opportunity to make friends with others who can relate to their experiences.
Your mandatory training
As a new foster parent, you’ll need to take part in some mandatory online training before you can welcome a child into your home. These modules will include:
- Equality and diversity
- First aid for children
- Safeguarding children
- Safer sleeping for babies (if you’re caring for young children)
These courses are a great foundation to build upon your preparatory training, and will ensure that you’re able to provide a safe home for the children you’ll welcome into your family.
Ongoing learning opportunities
We know that our foster parents are committed to always improving their knowledge and skills, and that’s why we’ve designed a range of additional training courses which you can access in your own time. Our learning library, Learnative, puts over 100 courses at your fingertips with a mix of instantly accessible e-learning courses alongside regular live sessions delivered over zoom.
There’s something for everyone on our Learnative platform. Whether you’re interested in deepening your knowledge of the effects of trauma on the brain, boosting your own communication skills or want to support your foster child with a specific issue such as bullying, safety in online gaming or disordered eating, there’s a course that’s right for your family. Your supervising social worker will work with you to identify the most suitable courses at any given time based on your knowledge and experience.
Religious and cultural needs
As specialists in nurturing children’s religious and cultural needs, we offer a range of training opportunities around cultural-specific needs. As a specialist multi-cultural fostering agency, we offer bespoke training on these issues with topics including ‘Cultural Awareness’ and ‘Caring for a Child of a different Race, Religion or Ethnicity.’
With support in these areas, foster parents from any background can feel confident in welcoming children who may not share their background, but who could benefit hugely from their love, support and careful consideration of their unique needs. We also offer regular training and support groups based around specific cultural needs.
Our online library is always expanding, and training materials are regularly updated to ensure that you’re receiving the most accurate and up-to-date knowledge on these complex topics. We also have a whole host of blogs here on our website, giving you tips, tricks and topical advice on caring for children’s cultural needs.
It’s time to foster with ACS
Taking part in our fantastic training opportunities helps to make you the best foster parent you can be, which leads to better and more positive outcomes for children. That’s why we’ll always encourage you to invest in yourself by it’s such a big part of our work.
Our training is designed to help you develop your potential, so you can provide the very best care and support for the children and young people you look after.
