Small is beautiful
Relationships are key to success. We aim to build and retain a ‘family feel’ among our staff and foster families. Being child-centred we are excited to see children reach their potential in the care of our foster families. The warmth, nurture and care that our foster carers share with children in their home makes all the difference. We have twelve approved foster families today and we plan to welcome as many more in the year ahead.
Meeting the need
Foster Care Ireland was set up by our Director, Mary Marjoram to find foster families for children and young people who were, or otherwise could be, in residential care.
With her support Foster Care Ireland has grown to provide families for children coming into care for the first time and for a short while, for children and young people who need a long term commitment from a family and for children transitioning from residential care to foster care.
Mary, a state registered nurse and residential care provider has championed quality and innovation and has been the recipient of endorsements from the statutory authorities, clients, and the families of those served .
Getting better all the time
We are constantly learning how best to respond to children who have had difficulties in their relationships with their parents or carers. We operate a therapeutic fostering model based on Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP).
At our core we are “PACE” which stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. This is our way of being and they are the guiding principles in our approach to fostering support. We try hard to be mindful of and reflect these principles in every aspect of our professional role.
Best in class
Foster Care Ireland aims to be the first DDP-certified Fostering Agency in Ireland and the second in Europe. DDP can help children who have been hurt and or neglected within their families in their early years. Children traumatized by such experiences find it difficult to feel safe and secure within their new families.