Fostering support
Five Rivers Fostering works closely with Tusla Child and Family Agency. Children who are placed with our families are referred by Tusla. We also work with some UK-based local authorities who have children/young people placed with relatives living in Ireland. As a national organisation, we have staff and foster families all over Ireland.
Our Services
Emergency Foster Care
Five Rivers Fostering has a bank of foster families who provide emergency and extended emergency foster placements to children outside of normal office hours. These families are available to the Gardaí who need to invoke Section 12 of the Child Care Act and Tusla outside of normal office hours. The service is run in partnership with Tusla’s National Out of Hours Service. In addition, Five Rivers Fostering has a number of families who can care for children at very short notice.
Long & Short Term Foster Care
We have a range of foster families across the country who are in a position to care for children of various ages in either a short or long-term capacity. Many of our foster families are ideally positioned to care for sibling groups. Access arrangements with birth families are supported and facilitated by the foster Carers. Foster Carers work closely with Tusla Child and Family Agency social workers, Five Rivers Fostering, Guardian Ad Leitums and other agencies to ensure that each child’s care plan is supported and followed through.
Relative Care Assessment / support
Five Rivers Fostering can undertake assessments and provide training and support packages for relative foster Carers. We do this both in partnership with the Tusla Child and Family Agency.
Kinship Care/Special Guardianship Assessment and support Packages
We work with a number of Local Authorities in the UK who wish to place children with relatives in Ireland. We have a range of support packages available which can be tailored to meet the different needs of children and young people in care.
Return Home / After Care support
Five Rivers Fostering has an excellent record of supporting children and young people to return to the care of their own families where possible and preparing them for leaving care in partnership with the Tusla Child and Family Agency. Five Rivers Fostering provides intensive support for foster Carers and birth families to work together in the best interests of the child or young person to enable their return home. support includes mentoring by foster Carers and engagement with social care workers and our Multi-Disciplinary Team to learn skills to manage some of the challenges that they may face. Post-placement follow up support can also provided with the aim of giving a reunification the best chance of success. Our fostering link social workers and social care workers are skilled in providing support and guidance to foster Carers in preparing young people for leaving care and in meeting their needs through the provision of an after care placement.
Enhanced Foster Care Packages
Five Rivers Fostering can provide Enhanced Foster Care Packages to enable children and young people with more complex needs to be cared for within a foster family setting. Enhanced Foster Care Packages are tailored to suit the specific needs of each individual child and as such the supports provided vary. Further information about this service can be provided by directly contacting Five Rivers Fostering.
Training
Five Rivers Fostering fostering provides a range of training to our staff and Carers. This includes preparation for foster care training, child protection, first aid, social media, trauma informed care and dyadic developmental practice. If you would like a list of our training and or to commission some of our training we can discuss this with you.
Specific Assessments or support Work
Five Rivers Fostering has carried out some independent assessment work for Local Authorities in the UK. Some examples of this included; supervision, monitoring and assessment of access visits for children visiting relatives in the Republic of Ireland, Special Guardianship Order Assessments, support and assessment of foster families living in Ireland and preparation of reports for court. This may be useful where potential Carers live outside of the community care area or where an independent assessment has been requested. The costings for such services are set on an individual basis.
Parent & Child Placements
We have a number of families who provide foster care to young parents and their children. These placements can provide mentoring support, assessment of parental capacity and a tailored care package to meet the needs of the person and their child to enable them to grow and develop.
MDT, Therapy & Consultation
Five Rivers Fostering provides foster families for children and young people in need of placements. Five Rivers Fostering provides intensive support to all of our Carers. This includes weekly support visits and access to 24 hour on-call services. Five Rivers Fostering will accept referrals from all community care areas.
Under the umbrella of foster care there are a range of services available.
Looking for Something Else?
We are a dynamic and flexible organisation. If you don’t see what you’re looking for please get in touch. We can design a fostering package for you.
Referrals
To make a referral contact the relevant Five Rivers Fostering office on the details below. A member of Five Rivers Fostering social work staff will ask a few questions about the young person being referred. While doing this they complete the Initial Referral Form. At this point you will be informed of any families that might meet the needs of the child / children being referred. Plans can then be made for the child’s placement to commence.
When a placement is required in an emergency, the basic information will still be required. Further paperwork should follow within two days of placement.
If a placement is identified, the child’s social worker will be asked to complete a more detailed Referral Form.
