I recently had the pleasure of meeting Cathy and Andy Northcote Smith, a couple who live in Barrow and have dedicated the last 10 years to fostering children. Cathy worked for Barrow Playgroup as a registrar, helping with accounts and as a playgroup assistant. Andy was deputy head at Hall Orchard Primary School for 23 years. They are a blended family both having their own children. They first heard about Parallel Parents (and its sister organisation, Care Today) from a family member who was receiving calls regarding children looking for a home. Cathy and Andy decided they could offer their home to a child in need. They have now helped over 15 children.

The care team can offer long-time fostering or just respite care for foster parents who need a break, or are even happy to look after the child if they have an appointment so just a couple of hours support are needed. There are currently 19 foster families in the East Midlands region, so the care team offers a great support network. Care Today is very focused on the children. They have an Outstanding Ofsted rating. This is because of their immense support to both the children and the foster parents/carers. There is a 24-hour helpline which could be used if you needed support. So, you would never be left alone to deal with a situation that felt out of your control.

Care Today offers in-depth training including mandatory training such as First Aid, Safeguarding and Medication It also provides an E-Learning Hub which offers more tailored training to help support a child who has additional needs. An example of this might be autism or ADHD.

A child in your care needs to feel safe and be treated as you would your own child. They can live with you until they are 21 years old or 25 years old (if they need further support). You would be helping them with their independence which could be learning to travel using public transport, helping them learn about money, learning to budget; teaching them to cook or supporting them to obtain a job, even if it’s volunteering. This sets them up with a good work ethic. The government can offer financial support if the child wishes to go to university. In some cases, you can apply for a ‘special guardianship order’ which means you could adopt the child and have full parental responsibility.

After passing the fostering application process (DBS check, medical assessment and an interview) Care Today sets up events, like a party, where you can meet the children and build a rapport before you foster them.

Care Today / Parallel Parents is a family run company based in Manchester. The company seems to provide a huge amount of support for the families. Cathy and Andy were passionate when talking about their roles within the team and said it was the most rewarding experience they have ever had. They also made a comment about how generous the Barrow upon Soar community is.

If you are interested in fostering or helping foster parents, please check out their website www.parallelparents.com It is packed with a lot information and myth busters – for example single parents or disabled parents can foster! Or only homeowners can foster – not true.

Frankie Stone