Foster Care Committee

The FFI Foster Care Committee performs an important role in considering all applications to become a foster carer, make recommendation about placements, review the continued suitability of foster carers, and provide a quality control function.

Our established Foster Care Committee is made up of members with a wide range of relevant knowledge, skills and experience, and come from a wide range of backgrounds.

This includes having three FFI staff on each committee (two social workers and a senior manager). Significantly, all other members are independent of FFI. Some will have relevant professional backgrounds and others will have relevant life and care experience, for example experience of being fostered or being a foster carer. In addition to Committee's collective expertise, members also have access to specialist medical and legal advice as required.

Foster Care Committee functions in focus

  1. To consider applications to foster and make recommendations about the suitability of applicants. This also includes making recommendations about the number, age range and backgrounds of the children/young people placed with carers.
  2. To review the continued suitability of FFI foster carers. All foster carers must be reviewed at least every 12 months. The FFI Foster Care Committees consider all first reviews, and reviews due to major changes in foster carers' circumstances, or following any serious complaint or allegation against the foster carer. Approving HSE areas will need to carry out their own arrangements.
  3. To provide a quality control function advising on FFI policies, procedures and good professional practice in assessing and supporting foster carers to care for children.

Decisions about appointment, refusal or alteration/termination of appointment of foster carers are made by FFI's 'Agency Decision Maker' (usually the FFI Director) following consideration of Committee recommendations.

However, the FFI Foster Care Committee cannot approve foster carers, all approvals must be sought via an HSE foster carer approvals Committee in line with the Guidance issued by the Minister for Health and Children (December 2004).

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