ABOUT US

We are an independent agency which means that we recruit, train and support our team of foster carers. We work in partnership with the Child and Family Agency to offer foster care placements to children who require care.
 Fostering with us
When you foster with us, you will be part of a supportive, caring and hard-working team. From the point of enquiry you will receive accurate information about the process and be supported throughout assessment and training by friendly, professional workers. You will benefit from ongoing support, advice and guidance throughout your fostering career

Our Mission

‘Giving children opportunities that others take for granted’ was devised a number of years ago by a group of children in our care and we believe that every child deserves a chance to be part of a loving and caring home.

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Types of foster Care

Emergency

We provide twenty-four hour availability and support to our foster carers and the children placed with them. Therefore we can accept emergency referrals and make a placement with appropriate carers as available outside of office hours.

Long Term Placements

We provide long term foster care placements to children and young people who require a permanent alternative home for the duration of their childhood. Oak Lodge Fostering Services recognises that short term placements are often the initial plan for a child whilst reunification options are explored, and long term placements can develop as the child’s care plan changes. Oak Lodge is committed to recruiting foster carers who have the flexibility required to meet the changing needs of children and their plan of care.

Short Term Placements

Our foster carers care for children on a short term/time limited basis when this is within the agreed care plan.

Assessment Placements

Assessment placements will be short term placements where an agreed focussed assessment is undertaken by the Oak Lodge foster carers. The carers as part of the team work with CFA colleagues, therapists, psychologists and education professionals to assess the child’s strengths and needs in relation to a specific area of their development. This assessment can contribute to the long term planning for children; help determine the best placement options and the support services needed. A written assessment report will be provided by Oak Lodge Fostering Services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Oak Lodge Fostering Services works in partnership with the Child and Family Agency (CFA) to supply foster care placements.

We have our own foster carers whom we assess, train and support through the fostering task. We provide a 24 hour on call service and paid respite.

This is a relatively straightforward process, please feel free to contact us to discuss this confidentially with one of our social workers who will guide you through the process. Contact Us
Our foster carers come from all backgrounds, cultures and religions – they are as diverse as the children needing families.

There are some essential criteria however:

  • You must be over 25 years of age
  • You must have a spare bedroom
  • You must have a full drivers licence
Oak Lodge is dedicated to supporting our foster carers with the fostering task. We are a small agency and therefore know all our foster carers well and encourage them to contact us with any queries or concerns they might have. We are available to our carers to discuss any issues that arise; sometimes just talking it through is enough and other times we need to put practical supports in place to help get through a challenging situation. We can tailor all our services to suit a foster carer’s individual needs.

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