Chrysalis Care certainly know what it takes to provide high quality foster care for children and young people who really need it. At the very centre is the main ingredient, beginning with foster carers who have a heart for caring for children and young people in their own homes. There’s no particular type of foster carer but they must have time in their lives to prioritise the needs of the children they care for. In fact, the greater the diversity of our foster carer team, the better. After all, children and young people are fostered for all sorts of reasons, so they need to be cared for by people from all backgrounds.
The not-so-secret ingredient, is the need for a spare bedroom, as without this, the fostering recipe cannot succeed. It might seem obvious but it is a requirement that is often overlooked, especially by those who feel compelled to foster and forget that physical space is just as important as space in the heart and life.
It takes somewhere between 4 to 6 months to transform the raw ingredients to a fully fledged and approved fostering household and this is achieved through mixing and folding in cupfuls of supportive training, support, advice and guidance from our exceptionally experienced team.
As with all great recipes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so this special mix of togetherness is an essential aspect of our success in providing safe and nurturing foster homes for children and young people across London, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Many of the foster carers who were approved in those early days are still actively fostering with Chrysalis Care and we are incredibly proud of our longevity. Do you think you have what it takes to join our very special blend of fostering?
You don’t need to be married or even co-habiting and in fact, some children are better placed with a single foster carer, others will thrive in a two parent household. There is no upper age limit, as long as you are fit and healthy and ready to meet the needs of the child or young person. It may be that you have a ‘colourful’ past of your own and in most instances, we can explore that with you and recognise the value in bringing rich experiences to the role. You will be thoroughly assessed by a qualified assessor and although this is in-depth, it will provide you with some useful insights about yourself and prepare you for the fostering journey ahead.
