OPENING your home to a child in need has its high and lows, but it can also give you a new lease of life, according to some of the borough’s foster carers.

Thurrock is not immune to the national shortage of foster carers, with 239 children in care at the moment, and just 101 households willing to foster.

The council is on the lookout for more people to train up, particularly those who can take siblings in, and people from the black and minority ethnic community.

Roland Minto, Thurrock Council’s service manager for the placement and support service, said: “There is a national shortage, we need more foster carers, but so does everybody else.

“We particularly need people who can take in brothers and sisters, that’s a real shortfall for us. If people have the capacity to take in more than one child, its a real plus for us.

“We have some black and minority ethnic foster carers, but we could always use more, but of course we welcome all foster carers.”

Fostering aims to provide family care for children who, for whatever reason, cannot stay in their home, and helps keep them in touch with their families and friends.

Care can be needed for anything from a few days to several years.

At the moment, there are 66 foster carers who look after children from newborns up to 18-year-olds, ten supported lodgings foster carers, who work with young people aged 16 and over to enable them to move on to independent living, and 12 therapeutic foster carers, who work with children with greater needs.

There are also 13 shared carers who provide respite for parents of disabled children.

There are no qualifications needed to apply to become a foster carer, but there are certain requirements.

Mr Minto said: ”Patience, resilience, good humour, and understanding of childrens’ needs are the personal qualities needed, they must have a spare bedroom, and they have to be physically able to care for a child.”

Once people have applied to become a foster carer they will have to complete free training courses.

There are no set age restrictions, and single adults are welcome to apply.

People who rent their home or are in social housing can also apply.

Jim, a foster carer for two years, said: “Fostering keeps me on my toes, it has given me a new lease of life, I wish we had applied sooner.”

Brian and Barbara, who have been foster carers for the last ten years, added: “We have no regrets about becoming foster carers. It has its ups and downs, but there are always more ups!”

Foster carers are not on their own, and are allocated their own qualified social worker for regular support.

They have access to a dedicated emergency duty team who operate an out-of-hours response in an emergency, as well as an out-of-hours telephone support line for general advice and support.

Thurrock also has a buddy system, where new carers are paired with more experienced carers who can give advice and support.

Carers get two main payments weekly, one for them, and one to cover the cost of the child.

Those with level one experience earn £53, level two earn £106, and level three get £262.65.

Therapeutic carers get an enhanced allowance of £288.92.

Payments for the cost of looking after the child range from £131.47 a week for a child four-years-old or under, up to £226.74 for children aged 16 and above.

Other allowances are available to help with furniture, bedding, and other basic requirements.

Allowances are reviewed by the council annually.

* The next foster information event will be held in the Garden Room at the Park Inn Hotel in High Road, North Stifford, on Wednesday, March 14 at 7pm.