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Fostering Services
FFI offers a wide range of placements for children and young people of all ages. All placements are 'matched' to ensure a good fit between the needs of children and young people and the skills and experience of foster carers to meet those needs.
Many FFI foster carers have extensive experience and/or training in specialised areas of care, for example caring for those who have been sexually abused, display challenging behaviour or have disabilities. Needs and placement solutions are carefully and continuously monitored and supported.
All placements must be negotiated through the child or young person's Health Service Executive area either through an individual placement contract or as part of a wider contract of service provision commissioned by the Health Service Executive.
FFI has a specifically designated 'Placements Manager' who is the first point of contact for enquiries about placement choices and 'spot purchasing'. On receiving a referral, the Placements Team will identify any possible match based on the young person's needs and carer vacancies. The Placements Team will keep you up to date as the referral progresses and will endeavour to get back to you within your requested timescales.
Placement Regulation
All placements of children and young people with FFI foster carers are made and monitored in accordance with the Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) regulations 1995 and the National Standards in Foster Care 2003 and associated Directions from the Minister for Children.
This means that:
- All foster carers are properly approved (by the HSE), reviewed and have signed a 'Foster Care Agreement'
- There is a 'Service Level Agreement' between FFI and the HSE.
- All children's placements are made using individual 'Foster Placement Contracts' which are prepared either before or at the point of placement and which include essential information and care plans.
- Wherever possible, pre-placement planning is undertaken, including introductions between foster carer and child (ren). For emergency placements immediate care and placement planning is given very rapid attention.