Fostercare as an occupation has existed for many years. Originally, foster carers were caring people who gave up a room in their homes to look after children, but received virtually no financial compensation for this - it was viewed as "voluntary work" and foster carers considered themselves lucky to be paid their expenses.

Over the last 20 years fostering has changed beyond recognition. Foster carers are viewed as professionals, part of a multi-disciplinary team caring for a looked after child. The only difference is that carers are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including bank holidays! With this dramatic development of their role, foster carers now expect to be paid as professionals, and with this, to expect more in terms of personal and professional development.

As with other professionals, foster carers expect to be trained and to achieve National qualifications such as NVQ and CWDC Standards. With this change comes increased expectations of them as well. As well as offering a nurturing home to a child, they need to be able to contribute to assessing that child, to keep copious written records and complete reports for meetings etc.

With this change of skill base, people from other, or related professions are becoming interested in foster care, particularly with the financial position some people find themselves in - for example losing their jobs with little prospect of finding another similar job in the near future. Fostering can offer a much more fulfilling occupation than many professions, and has the added benefit of being home-based. So much so that in several instances within our Fostercare agency, the main bread-winner has voluntarily given up their work and the couple foster as a team. This enables them to provide care for large sibling groups or children with highly complex or specialist needs, for whom Local Authorities are willing to fund at a higher rate than normal. These sorts of situations make it financially viable for both partners to foster full time. Of the 76 sets of foster carers fostering for our Fostercare agency, 20 couples foster as a partnership, full time.

Undoubtedly fostering is a challenging career, but the challenges make it worth while. Fostering is a hugely rewarding career: carers who take to the job continue for years and years. This quote from one of our foster carers says it all!

"I feel that every small change in a child that we care for makes fostering worthwhile. To see their confidence and self esteem grow, to watch them experience and try new things and enjoy the things that family life can make a big difference"