Foster parents wanted

Foster parents wanted ...

Information from the youth welfare offices of the City of Stade, the City of Buxtehude and the Administrative District of Stade

All children need parents!

For a child, having parents means:

• Love
• Help
• Encouragement
• Trust
• Security
• Understanding
• Care
• Orientation
• Freedom
• Health and Education
  
  

  Foster parents are a viable soltion for parents who can not manage raising their children alone.

Foster parents...

... are people who are willing to commit themselves to children who are not their own, but nevertheless expect and need just as much care until the natural parents no longer need help or until the child reaches adulthood.

The following reasons explain why parents may need help in raising their children:

• They are overwhelmed or overworked
• Severe partner conflict, possible separation / divorce
• Psychological disorders
• Inability to raise children
• Drug addiction
• Child abuse
• Sexual abuse

The families have financial difficulties in almost all of these cases.

What sort of families are we looking for?

First of all, we are looking for committed and competent persons who are open to children and young persons and who have sufficient time and living-space. These may be families in the traditional sense but also individuals whose situation corresponds to other ways of life. A highly stable and calculable life plan is always essential, as well as being tolerant towards families and children from other social classes, nations and religions. In addition, it is necessary to work closely together with the birth parents and the youth welfare office.

What do foster families get engaged in?

Children who cannot grow up at home are in a field of tension between their birth parents and the foster family. In general, parents are interested in their child, even if he or she cannot live with them. All children bring their social and emotional background along with them into the foster family and they do need support when attempting to come to terms with their situation in life.

Being foster parents - what can you expect from the youth welfare office?

• We provide you with advice throughout the decision-making process on whether to take a foster child into your home.
• We offer you a preparatory seminar for applicants. This seminar is a prerequisite for taking a child in.
• The youth welfare office selects appropriate families for the children and young persons. During the initial meetings, the foster family and the child/young person will decide on whether they get along well with each other and whether they want to live together.
• After the placement, we offer you advice and guidance in all matters of foster care, e.g. visiting between birth parents and child, school problems, behavioural problems.
• Furthermore, due to our monitoring function, we have to check whether the child/young person is progressing well in his or her development and whether his or her well-being is being achieved in the foster family.
• The youth welfare office pays an allowance in order to support the child and to compensate the foster family for the upbringing.

Are you interested? Do you have any further questions?

We are at your disposal:

Stadt Stade - Jugendamt
Ms Klintworth-Ehlert
Ms Kahlich
Ms Kostenzer
Heidbecker Damm 26
21677 Stade
phone 04141/401-567/-556

Stadt Buxtehude - Jugendamt
Ms Struß
Kirchstr. 3
21614 Buxtehude
phone 04161/501-257

Landkreis Stade - Jugendamt
Ms Brauer
Mr Heinig
Am Sande 1
21677 Stade
phone 04141/12-375/-390