Council staff who foster a child will now receive five extra days paid-leave as part of a fostering charity’s accreditation scheme, writes Josh Mellor…
National charity Foster Care Network’s scheme names ‘Foster Friendly Employers’ who create a supportive environment for employees who are carers.
The additional leave is a requirement of accreditation aiming to help foster parents to attend care commitments such as training and meetings.
Cllr Peter John, Leader of the Council, said: “Our foster carers do an amazing job and we want more of our staff to consider fostering.
“It is only right that we support our own staff to foster by creating a supportive atmosphere where their unique needs are recognised and supported.”
Many foster carers can feel pressured by fostering services to give up their job or reduce their working hours according to research by Foster Care Network.
The same research showed that 50% of carers who did give up their work thought stopping was the wrong decision.
Friendly HR policy, time off for settling in a new child, and paid time off for training were the top three factors found by the charity that would help foster carers continue working.