Fostering in York
By joining our fostering team in York, you could change children’s lives. There are many ways to make a difference, so our team at TACT are here to answer any questions you may have about becoming a foster carer, and to help you to decide if it is the right choice for you and your household.
There are lots of different reasons why young people come into care. Some children are fostered for a short period of time, maybe due to an illness in the family or conflicts between parents or guardians. Other times, they need to stay in foster care for a longer period of time due to abuse or neglect. TACT are recruiting foster carers in York in order to provide care and guidance for these vulnerable young people.
There are many myths that surround eligibility for fostering. In reality, the initial criteria for becoming a foster carer in York is to have at least one spare bedroom, be aged over 21 and to be a full time resident of the UK. There are other personal qualities that are important for fostering, such as: resilience, patience and a caring nature. If this sounds like something YOU could do, you could join our York Fostering team!
Meet Our Team
We cover a wide area around York, including Heworth, Acomb, Clifton, Tang Hall – and many other areas in the region.
We have a great team of staff within the York area. Richard Leech, our area manager for the area, has worked in children’s services for over 27 years, and is passionate about making a difference to children’s lives. He manages our great team of social workers in Yorkshire and the North East ensuring that our team of foster parents are fully supported. Richard joined TACT in 2013. He left his previous fostering agency due to the ‘profit’ that was being made from vulnerable children.
We provide our foster carers in York with full training, 24/7 support and a generous fostering allowance.
Why Foster in York 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 York, we provide our foster parents 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.
We’re 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 96% of our carers would recommend us to others thinking of fostering.
Rated As ‘Good’ By Ofsted
Following an inspection in October 2021, Ofsted have announced that TACT Yorkshire & the North East has been rated ‘Good’ for its work with foster carers and looked after children.
“Children benefit from strong, trusting and nurturing relationships with their foster
carers. Foster carers act as positive advocates, and they empower the children to
express their wishes and feelings.” – Ofsted 2021
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 children’s 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 areas, 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 York
Foster carers are highly skilled people, and our fees and allowances reflect this.
TACT are part-funded by Yorkshire City Council, and we work closely with them to help provide fostering homes for young people in the area. If you join our Fostering Yorkshire & North East team, the actual fostering fees and allowances that you receive will depend on the type of fostering you are looking to undertake, the number of children that you are caring for, the complexity of their needs and their age.
You will also receive additional payments for children’s birthdays, holidays and religious festivals. Additionally, 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 York
“Our daily lives have changed so much”
Carol talks about fostering during the pandemic, and how they have made a difference to a child with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD).
“To know that you are changing a life is priceless”
The stigma around looked after children and their reputation for being unruly isn’t fair or true. These aren’t naughty children, they have been badly let down by society. When they receive nurturing, boundaries and a safe home they blossom.
“It fills you with pride seeing the difference you are making”
I began thinking about fostering after one of my friends started fostering. Seeing the positive difference in the children from when they first arrived compared to when they left, I knew this was something I wanted to do.
Fostering Information Events
It looks like there are no events happening in this area right now
Start Your Fostering Journey
