Description
Men in Fostering Course: live training for Foster Carers and Social Workers
The role of a foster carer can be both extremely rewarding and at the same time extremely challenging. Being a male foster carer has, arguably, even more challenges.
Women are traditionally seen as caregivers. Often, a man who devotes his life to caring for children is viewed with suspicion.
Every foster carer has unique skills, experiences and abilities that they bring to the fostering task, regardless of gender. However, a male foster carer will need to think carefully about the role he plays in caring for children, particularly those who have had a negative experience with men in the past.
Many young people entering the looked-after system have come from a single-parent family with no consistent male role model, and many benefit enormously from the mentoring, care and nurturing that a male carer can provide. This course provides male carers with a perspective on their role in the care of looked after children.
Learning Aims:
- Explore the role of men in fostering and what constitutes a positive male role model
- Explore how male carers are perceived by professionals, children and young people
- Explore and recognise how men contribute to the development of children and young people and of improved outcomes
- Explore aspects of safer caring in relation to the male carer
This course is for Foster Carers and Adopters as well as their Supervising Social Workers. It is also suitable for Residential Child Care Workers (RCCW) and residential team managers from mainstream, short-breaks and outreach services.