Do you have room in your heart and your home for a child? Become a foster carer.

When a child is in need of care and protection, and whānau have not yet been identified to care for them, Oranga Tamariki takes responsibility for them and, if necessary, their siblings. Oranga Tamariki then works closely with agencies like Iosis to find foster carers. Foster carers are people who have been vetted and trained to provide a therapeutic environment that responds to children’s needs. Generally, this is on a temporary basis until whānau have been strengthened and resourced to welcome their child or children home. Sadly, there are times when longer term care is needed.

Becoming a foster carer is a decision not to be taken lightly; the process is intentionally robust. It involves vetting (Police, Oranga Tamariki and medical). It also involves assessment, which is a process of self-reflection and time spent with our foster care team to help us understand your personal journey, which we know will inform how you relate and respond to, and care for, tamariki. This is the head (how you think), heart (how you feel) and hands (what you do).

There is no particular formula for who is suited for foster care but experience tells us that children require more than a bed and a meal. Foster carers should be aware of their own needs so that they are better able to prioritise the needs of the children in care. They should also have a strong supportive network of whānau and other relationships, to strengthen their well-being when things, inevitably, get tough. When caring for children Iosis offers a 24/7 support line for critical support. However, it is important that Iosis is not the only support a foster carer has in place.

We welcome people of all cultures or ethnicities to consider becoming a foster carer. Around 70 per cent of children and young people in care are Māori, and Oranga Tamariki is working in partnership with iwi and kaupapa Māori providers to connect tamariki Māori in care to caregivers from their whānau, hapū or iwi.  Ideally, we would want to match children culturally if at all possible. No matter what your culture or ethnicity, the child’s needs are at the centre of foster care. This will require you to be attuned to the child’s cultural needs, but you will be supported by your Iosis social worker in knowing what these are and how to meet them.

It can vary from just a few days to weeks, months or even years. The placement period is affected by many factors such as the family situation, the court system and other agencies such as Oranga Tamariki. You can decide whether you want children for longer or shorter stays, or for respite care.

Yes, once you’re trained and ready to be a foster carer, you can select the age groups and gender of children you’d be more comfortable caring for. We’ll email you different placement options until you find the right fit for you.

The key thing is to provide a caring, nurturing and stable environment. You’ll need to provide all the things you would normally expect for a child – meals, a bedroom (their own or shared), transport to and from school, nappies and formula if they’re babies – we’ll talk that through with you in more detail.

No, you’re not expected to contact the family at any time. We manage the liaison with the child’s family and we ensure your contact details are not shared.

No, in fact this is actively discouraged. All communication relating to the children in your care will come through Iosis.

Providing a stable, consistent environment is really important for the well-being of the child or children in your care. However, we realise there may be times when you need a break, so if you do, please contact us about using our respite service.

Iosis is a low-to-medium needs provider, which means we don’t take placements for children who are considered to have high-risk behaviours. However, most children who need foster care have usually been affected by some trauma, which can lead to behavioural issues. At your initial assessment we check with you regarding your insurance in your home and suggest you make contact with your insurance company to determine if you will be covered. From time to time children may cause some damage to your home and we can discuss how we address this situation. Your first avenue would be to go through your insurance company. However, if there is repeated damage this can be discussed with your Iosis social worker, who will make contact with Oranga Tamariki.

We know some people would dearly love to become foster carers but because of work or family commitments or current living situations this does not seem possible. Perhaps this is not the right time for you, and that’s OK

However, if you feel strongly that you would like to pursue the process of applying to become a foster carer, we invite you to call and discuss your circumstances so that we can agree together whether your circumstances exclude you for now. Often people have heard myths regarding foster care and we would like to help dispel these if necessary. An example of a myth is: “I work full -time, therefore I can’t be a foster carer.” This is not true! Even parents who work full-time can provide excellent, consistent care for children, so it is no different for foster carers.

If foster care is not for you but you would like to support children in care, contact us, as we might be able to suggest some ways you can still help, such as

• making something special for foster children to receive when they come into a new home, to help them feel welcome
• buying gifts for Christmas or birthdays
• raising money for foster care activities or events, where children from multiple care homes come together for some fun.

There are all sorts of ways you can help, so even if you cannot foster right now, you can still make a difference in children’s lives.

Some people feel that adoption would be a better choice for children in care. However, the culture of care has changed significantly and adoption, permanent or home for life care is now considered a last resort. It is preferred and considered the best possible outcome, when whānau are strengthened, to allow for tamariki to return home to whānau, hapū or iwi – extended family. The role of foster carers is best approached in terms of Kaitiakitanga, or caretakers (or in this case, givers), rather than parents. Realistically there are times when returning home is not an option; this decision is a legal one made by the Family Court and is not made lightly.

Foster carers open up their homes and hearts in the hope that providing a loving environment will make a difference in foster children’s lives. Sometimes that difference is easily recognisable. But sometimes seeing any change can be more difficult. This is not due necessarily to the foster carer’s relationship with the child, but because some children have experienced trauma in their lives and find it hard to trust people. It takes time for change to occur in children’s lives. Some children may need help such as counselling to help the make sense of the world they live in. At times you may feel disappointed, defeated or frustrated that the outcome of caring for a child was not as you had imagined. That is understandable. However, even if you did not see the changes you hoped for, you will know that you provided a place of safety for that child in the midst of the turmoil they have experienced. And that alone may have been enough for that stage of their journey to well-being.

This is a natural and understandable response. Foster carers are by nature giving people who love children and want the best for them. Saying goodbye and trusting the child’s care to someone else is perhaps one of the toughest challenges a foster carer will face, especially early in their foster care experience.

However, you can take comfort in the part you have played in providing safety and love in that child’s life. The impact of that, even if for a relatively short time, can be immeasurable. And you will know that there are processes in place so the child’s care is continued after they leave you. Each child you care for will be different, and if you are a foster carer for any length of time you will be able to look back on the many children whom you have helped. It is times such as these that we encourage you to draw on your own supports and we, at Iosis, will be available as part of that support process.

We couldn’t agree more; moving a child from one home to another is less than ideal. Unfortunately, sometimes circumstances require this (for example a carer’s health or family situation changes dramatically and unexpectedly, meaning they can no longer continue fostering). Every effort is made to minimise disruption for the child. It is this belief, that consistent care best supports well-being, that requires our process to be robust to ensure that if and when you are ready to accept a child into your care, that this is for as long as is required whenever possible.

Being a foster carer is a huge responsibility and it takes a serious commitment of time for initial and subsequent training, meeting with various professionals to do with the child’s care, and of course regularly liaising with an Iosis social worker. It is highly unlikely that anyone who was solely financially motivated to become a carer would make it through the selection process or, even if they did, last the distance.  Foster carers are reimbursed for the child’s living expenses, including pocket money allowance, clothing, school expenses and extra-curricular activites. These payments are made at standard rates based on the age of the child in care. Payments for foster care are not the equivalent of a full-time salary. The payments made are to cover the day-to-day expenses of a child and in part compensate the foster carers for the use of their home.

A few men may be discouraged or uncertain about entering caring roles (e.g. teachers, nurses, counsellors, and yes, even foster carers). This could be for many reasons, but one is sometimes that they may feel some degree of vulnerability to false accusation or suspicion. We presently have several males involved in foster care. Iosis social workers represent both the child and the foster carer, and so our carers get great support. Should an allegation be made of a foster carer, we have robust procedures in place to support the foster carer and child should the need arise.

Unfortunately, there have been instances where children have been let down grievously by the adults in their lives and by ‘the system’. The role of Oranga Tamariki is to protect and nurture children. Iosis works in partnership with Oranga Tamariki to provide wrap-around support to foster families, giving them the tools to enable children to feel supported and loved while they are in care.