Fostering in Kent
There are many children and young people in Kent who require safe, caring and loving homes. These young people are unable to live with their own families for a number of reasons. There could be a degree of conflict within the family, meaning that the children need to be removed until that conflict is resolved. Sadly, the most common reason is neglect or even abuse. TACT are recruiting foster carers in Kent to provide safe and caring homes to these children.
You don’t need any previous experience to start fostering in Kent, as full training will be provided. To start the application process, you just need at least one spare bedroom in your home, a caring and nurturing character – and lots of energy to provide a child with a secure and loving home. If this sounds like something that you could do, you could join our Kent Fostering Team!
Meet Our Team
We have a great team of staff within the Kent area. Christine McGillvary, our area manager for the area, is truly passionate about making a difference to children’s lives. She manages our great team of social workers in London and the South East – ensuring that our team of foster parents are fully supported. Christine has over 19 years’ experience in fostering, specifically within the charitable sector.
We are currently looking for foster carers in the Kent area, such as: Maidstone, Tonbridge, Ashford, Canterbury – and many other areas in the region.
Why Foster in Kent with TACT?
TACT is the UK’s largest dedicated fostering charity – enabling us to provide care for children on a national level. We reinvest any surplus income into providing more support and training for foster carers interested in fostering.
As one of the leading fostering agencies in Kent, we provide our foster carers with training and support that is local to them – to enable them to change young people’s lives. Because we reinvest surplus income, we can provide additional support over and above what is required of a fostering charity, such as a dedicated education service, health service and an online foster carer portal.
Were more than just a fostering agency – we go above and beyond to look after our foster carers and the children they provide care for. Our TACT Connect service ensures that when children leave the care system, they have TACT’s support for life.
This is why 98% of our carers would recommend us to others thinking of fostering.
Rated As ‘Good’ By Ofsted
Following an inspection in January 2022, Ofsted have announced that TACT London & the South has been rated ‘Good’ for its work with foster carers and looked after children.
“The fostering service provides a good quality of care, and the experiences and outcomes for children are very positive. Children, many of whom have complex needs, receive personalised care that meets their needs, and they are kept safe.” – Ofsted, 2022
24/7 Support
We understand how important a high level of support is to our foster carers, which is why we reinvest surplus income into providing more support for our fostering families. Also, our Supervising Social Workers have manageable workloads, so that they are able to dedicate more time to you. After all, the better we support you, the better you will be able to provide the care and guidance required to change childrens lives.
This is what we provide:
- Full 24/7 support. Your Supervising Social Worker will usually provide all the support you need, but we also have a dedicated out-of-hours support service for total peace of mind.
- Foster carer portal. An online community of TACT foster carers and a place to find information, advice, training and other resources to help you with your day-to-day life as a foster carer.
- Education service. Our specialist service provides support and advice to help ensure that the children in your care receive the best possible educational opportunities.
- Health service. Our health service was established in order to provide young people in your care with ongoing physical and mental health monitoring.
- Support groups. Our support groups operate all over the country, and provide you with a local outlet to meet other carers in your area, share experiences and knowledge, and even make new friends!
- Support for young people. Our Children’s Resource Workers provide the children in your care with additional support, activities and events.
- Supporting your own children. We understand that your own children play an important role in the fostering household. As such, our Children Who Foster events provide your own children with an opportunity to socialise with other young people who make an amazing contribution to fostering.
- Peer support. In some circumstances, peer-to-peer support may be available. These work by pairing newly approved foster carers with experienced TACT carers to provide another level of support.
Fostering Allowance Kent
Foster carers are highly skilled people, and our fees and allowances reflect this.
If you join our Kent Fostering team, the total fostering allowance that you receive will vary based on a number of factors, including the type of foster care you are providing, the number of children that you care for and their age, as well as the complexity of their needs.
You will also receive additional payments for children’s birthdays, holidays and religious festivals. In addition to your fostering allowance, we also pay long service awards and a Refer a Friend fee (if you recommend someone who then goes on to be an approved foster carer with us).
Hear From Our Foster Carers in Kent
“She is the most beautiful part of my life.”
Sharntel, a TACT foster carer since 2015, cares for a 10-year-old girl with epilepsy and autism. Despite the challenges, Sharntel finds immense joy in their journey, celebrating small victories like eating independently. Her foster daughter has become the most beautiful part of her life and inspired her advocacy for children with disabilities.
“I love watching the way that she has developed and grown in confidence”
There is no doubt that fostering, while challenging, is also extremely rewarding. I love watching the way that our foster daughter has developed and grown in confidence. I am very proud that she has completed her college course and secured an apprenticeship.
“I have become a foster grandmother”
I have been fortunate to be able to help children from many different cultural backgrounds. One of the most important things I have learned is how childhood trauma can influence the course of one’s life. I see myself as someone who can make a road on which a child is able to travel.
Fostering Information Events
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Start Your Fostering Journey
