I’ve heard that if I give up work then I can’t claim benefits for six months, does this count if I give up work to foster? Will I receive enough benefits to support myself and the foster child? The child that you foster will not be counted as part of your household when calculating any MumsNet Questions: Fostering, Benefits and Work

Articles 14/05/12 – Every 22 Minutes a Child Needs a Foster Carer – Huffington Post This article gives a factual perspective on the need for foster carers in the UK with statistics and real-life stories from foster children. 12/03/13 – What Foster Parents Wish Other People Knew – ScienceBlogs.com This is an American article and No Idea About Fostering? Here are 13 Articles and Blogs We Recommend

Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison (2004) This is the first-person story of a woman who has been a foster parent for more than a decade. ‘If you want to know what it’s like to be a foster parent, read this book.’ Crying for Help by Casey Watson (2012) This book is fictional Never Heard of Fostering? 9 Books to Get You Started

Clifford House Family Day Out |Telford

We recently treated our Foster Carers, their families and looked-after children to a family day out in Telford. As you can see, it was a great day out for all involved, particularly the adults!

It wasn’t until Ellen* was placed with her carers at Clifford House that she was finally faced with the prospects of a positive and bright future. From a young age, Ellen had more to face in her life than the average young girl. She was neglected and her parents were often physical with her. At It’s the Little Things That Make All the Difference…

BBC2’s Protect our Foster Kids: Episode One Review

On Sunday BBC 2 launched it’s new documentary series following the foster carer’s at Dorset County Council on their journey with fostering. Here’s the Clifford House review of episode one. I felt it was a really fair and realistic portrayal of the job our carers do and the needs of the children we work with. Also BBC2’s Protect our Foster Kids: Episode One Review

Part Two – How much has Staying Put affected Fostering in the UK?   

A year has passed since the enactment of the most significant piece of legislation for thousands of young people in care and their foster carers across the UK. Young people are no longer forced to leave their foster homes at the age of eighteen although this has not come without its challenges. The Staying Put Part Two – How much has Staying Put affected Fostering in the UK?  

Part One – 18 and Forced to Leave Care: Life for a foster child before the Staying Put   

Following lengthy campaigns over the years and pilot programmes trialling ‘Staying Put’ in 11 local authorities, young people in foster care are no longer forced to leave their foster homes at 18. Prior to the Staying Put legislation, many young people were required to leave the homes where they had been placed and become comfortable Part One – 18 and Forced to Leave Care: Life for a foster child before the Staying Put  

Head Office has Relocated

Our head office has relocated to Bromsgrove. The new address is: Belway House 7 Worcester Road Bromsgrove B61 7DL Tel: 01527 559366 Email: info@cliffordhouse.polarisstaging.co.uk We are recruiting Foster Carers in the West Midlands area, and have Supervising Social workers that cover all the areas. If you would like to find out more about fostering with Head Office has Relocated

The Fostering Network  announced on the 5th February 2015 that 8,370 new foster families are needed across the UK during 2015 to provide stable, secure and loving homes for record numbers of fostered children. The article read: Each day sees over 63,000 children living with over 52,500 foster families in homes across the UK. With Have You Got Room in Your Heart and Home?

Ofsted Inspection – Exciting News!

We are pleased to announce that following the Ofsted inspection in December 2014, the agency was once again given the rating of ‘Outstanding’. Since changes were made to the Inspection framework, achieving outstanding is harder than ever.   Of those inspections that took place between April and September 2014, of the 54 agencies that were inspected Ofsted Inspection – Exciting News!