One of the most important factors in creating stable fostering households that work well for everyone involved is the matching process. This is even more important for foster carers with birth children in the home. 

At TACT, we have Family Finders based in each of our teams across the UK. Their role involves being the link between our foster families and local authorities, where referrals for young people in care come from. By forming close relationships with everyone involved and understanding the needs of each member of a fostering family, their role aims to make the best possible matches between young people in care and foster families, which lead to the most positive fostering placements. 

During Children of Foster Carers Month, our Family Finder in Scotland, Lauren, has shared more with us about the importance of matching, particularly to foster carers with birth children of their own. 

Can you describe what your role is as a family finder? 

The family finder is the first port of call for all referrals from local authorities (LA’s). The family finder will form relationships with foster carers and LA’s, through phone calls, virtual meetings or attending carer support groups. 
 
The family finder is the integral link between the LA and TACT so creating networks and contacts within local authorities is a vital part of the role. The family finder will be the person who gets all available background reports (where possible) and children’s profiles. In consultation with supervising social workers and foster carers they will help to make an informed decision on carers ability to meet a child’s assessed needs as part of the matching process and placement planning. 

It is also important for the family finder to understand foster carers and who makes up their families, who lives in the house, are there pets or other important regular visitors to the house, the age of the children that live within the household, the layout of the family home, who makes up the families support network and what services are available in the local area.  
 
During assessment, a family profile and welcome book will be created to help gather this information. The family profile will be shared with local authorities by the family finder when a suitable match has been identified, and the welcome book can be given to children prior to them moving to help best prepare them for where they will be living.  

How does the matching process work, and what considerations would TACT take for a fostering family who have birth children? 

Our practice will be to match children based upon a carers ability to meet the child’s assessed needs. We will always make matching decisions in consultation with our foster carers and where possible depending on the individual child we will obtain the child’s views. 

When considering a match there are numerous factors we must consider – needs of the child or young person, skills and experience of foster carers, other members of the fostering households’ circumstances i.e. age and stage, would location mean a change of school for a young person, how would family time be maintained, are there any cultural or religious requirements, can the young person live with any pets. 

If you have a birth child living at home, we will need to consider their age and stage as well as their individual needs. This will be explored whilst you are going through the assessment process and your assessing social worker will make a recommendation of approval. For example, they may recommend a young person is 2 years older or younger than your birth child or you may wish that your birth child will remain the oldest child within the household to help them feel secure within the family.  

Other considerations include are the children close in age and stage, and will they be attending the same school in the same year group, which could result in shared friendship groups. You may also consider how your birth children introduce a new child or young person to their friendship group.  

Supervision with your social worker also allows you a chance to discuss matching with your birth children’s age and stage. Foster carers are central to the decision around matching and there is never any expectation or pressure to agree to a match. Where appropriate, we try to involve birth children in these discussions. 

What factors should potential foster carers who have birth children of their own consider before fostering?

If you have birth children, the most important things are understanding the impact that fostering may have on them, preparing them in the best way you can and including them in the journey. Having open conversations on how everyday life may change for them and for the family is vital in preparing your birth children for sharing their parents’ time.

You must think about factors like how will you support both children to attend extra-curricular activities, how would you manage family time, or how will your children explain a new child or young person living with them to their friends. It’s important you help them to understand that a foster child may present challenging behaviours due to their early life experiences, and you develop a clear sense of how you will manage this as the adults.  

What support do TACT offer to birth children as part of a fostering family? 

Your TACT supervising social worker should be aware of the emotional and wellbeing needs of your birth children and other people living in the fostering household who play an important part in supporting children, and so they will make themselves available to obtain the views of birth children throughout. Birth children’s views will also be sought for annual reviews. 

Birth children’s achievements and success are recognised and celebrated by TACT in the same way as that of children who are part of the fostering family. Birth children, where appropriate, will be invited along to family events as we recognise that it is not just the foster carers that play an important role in the children’s lives but the wider extended family that give children positive experiences.