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4.7.10 Foster Carer Bedroom Occupancy Recruitment Policy

This foster carer recruitment policy has been devised to underpin and promote the entire bedroom occupancy policy. It aims to ensure that the service recruits new carers who are able to provide bedroom accommodation appropriate to the fostering task/type.

Dudley Fostering Service will consider fostering applications from people who meet the following bedroom availability criteria in relation to the type of fostering they are wishing to pursue:

  1. Short Term/Respite Break Placements (for children with or without disabilities)

    It is not necessary to have an unoccupied bedroom fully available for fostering purposes. However, applicants need to be able to ensure that a bedroom will be available for the sole purpose of fostering for the duration of the proposed short term/respite break periods.
  2. Temporary Placements

    At least one bedroom needs to be fully available for the purpose of fostering. Potential bedroom shares with existing household children will not be considered.

    For applicants proposing to care for babies in a cot in the prospective carers' bedroom, a suitable bedroom to move the baby on to at approximately 24 months old also needs to be available.
  3. Permanent Placements

    Ideally one bedroom should be fully available for the purposes of fostering. Bedroom shares between existing child household members and permanently placed children will be discouraged. However, the Fostering Service can consider such applications subject to extensive exploration of the involved issues in the foster carer assessment, preparation process and on completion of a detailed risk assessment.

    Such bedroom sharing proposals are recommended only in situations where the children it is proposed to share have existing significant relationship between them, e.g. family and friend placements; temporary foster carers being assessed as permanent carers.

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