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Welcome to Rainbow Fostering
We have a simple goal at Rainbow. It is to help vulnerable children and young people make the best of their lives. Many have suffered different forms of abuse and upset. This has set them back. Their behaviour can be challenging, but we provide support and training to deal with this. This means our amazing foster carers really do transform young lives. Children, perhaps for the first time, can feel hope and not despair. You can do all this! What could be more rewarding? Join with us and give your love and dedication so a child can flourish. We enable our carers to reach their full potential, so our young people can reach theirs.
Rainbow provide support at all times day and night all year round. You are never alone.
Your experience of fostering with us will be simple and rewarding. Above all it will be memorable. Change your future today by changing someone else's. We would love to hear from you.
Why fostering with Rainbow is special
The decision to foster is a big one. It cannot be made without having some basic information. From the moment we receive an enquiry, we make the process clear and simple. We know there is no one typical foster carer, but all need the best support available. Rainbow provide this around the clock 365 days a year. With our guidance and training, becoming a foster carer is easy.
We value highly the commitment and dedication of our carers. They are special people indeed. Many welcome the additional specialist training offered. All our foster carers are professional in their approach.
People who experience the rewards of fostering with us come from a whole variety of backgrounds. They bring a wide range of different work and life experiences to fostering. We have carers from different ethnic backgrounds, religious and cultural traditions.
Inside Our Rainbow
What can you expect if you foster with Rainbow? You will be joining a group of people that place the well being of our children above all else. We want to create bright futures for our children and foster carers by providing the best support possible. Our training is enjoyable and delivered in a way that builds confidence - and creates friendships! It provides a solid foundation for our carers to develop their fostering careers. Some people care for just one child, whilst others look after sibling groups. We make it possible to specialise in caring for teenagers,children with complex needs or children with disabilities.
We are a colourful community that values everyone’s contribution. Throughout the year, we organise events aimed at bringing people together and celebrating what fostering can achieve. We hold our Children’s Awards and Foster Carer Awards annually. Both of these are joyous, celebratory events that mark achievements and recognise progress that has been made. During the summer months, our Youth Participation Officer organises activities that are both fun and educational. Joining Rainbow means being part of ‘one big foster family’. And it’s a very happy one!
The Application Process with Rainbow
People, rightly, think long and hard about the decision to become a foster carer. It is a considerable responsibility. A bit scary like flying for the first time! We know some people have taken years thinking if it might be right for them. So we also know, it will be understood, we have to take the time necessary to make sure an applicant(s) will be suitable. This is because we have a considerable responsibility to the looked after children, we find foster homes for.
Our process is thorough: the time it takes from an initial enquiry to becoming an approved foster carer is between 4 to 6 months. This is the same for all agencies. There is no quick way to become a foster carer. Applicants have to be prepared carefully for a challenging, but rewarding job.
Rainbow Rewards
Being a foster carer brings many rewards. We have a big heart at Rainbow: we value highly the people who foster with us, so we have an incentive scheme to encourage referrals. We think our carers are excellent ambassadors for fostering. This means people they know will have an excellent understanding of what is involved.
Any of our foster carers who refer a friend, or acquaintance to us will receive £500 once that person has accepted their first placement.
We run regular coffee mornings, so please feel free to bring along anyone you know who may be interested in fostering. If you are already a foster carer and considering transferring, please call us for a confidential chat. Or, come along to one of our coffee mornings. We can provide details of the special incentive available if you transfer to Rainbow.
Why Foster?
There are now well over 65,000 children and young people in the care system in the UK. Nearly all children that come into care will have suffered some form of neglect or abuse; they have frequently come from chaotic and disrupted homes where there is no structure or order. The routine of regular mealtimes, bedtimes - even going to school every day might be unknown.
There is mounting evidence that good quality foster care can produce positive effects on children's outcomes. Research has suggested that children in foster care make better educational progress than vulnerable children who remain with troubled families. This is because foster carers can provide homes that are stable, loving and secure. Childhood should be a special time filled with happy memories: providing this, is what foster care is all about.
The Rewards of Fostering
As well as helping to shape the future of a child, fostering can offer an exciting new start in life for everyone concerned. Caring for a child - making sure they are well dressed, properly nourished, happy and healthy can be life affirming.
On a daily basis, very few things can feel so worthwhile. By helping a child to flourish, a foster carer can provide them with a future that has hope and prospects. Changing the course of a youngster's life can have a generational effect: their children can also benefit from the special care and love a foster carer has shown. So without question, fostering can offer unique joys: watching a child smile for the first time after being neglected; celebrating a birthday - perhaps for the first time - and being there to cheer them on at sports day.
Take the next step
can contact one of our expert advisors who will be happy to give you more information.
There is no obligation - we only want to help you reach the right decision. Benefit from a friendly and informal chat about what life is like as a foster carer. Above all, we care for our carers so they can do their best for the children and young people in their charge.
