Fostering and Adoption
What is shared care?
Shared Care is a nationwide scheme which provides short-term care for disabled children away from home. Carers usually look after children with a disability for a weekend, a holiday or occasional overnight stays. The aim is to match children with carers on a regular basis so that the child's trust and confidence is built up. In this way the child benefits from making new friends and having different experiences, and the carer and their family have their lives enriched by the experience of caring for a child. Whilst caring for this child the parents have a break perhaps to spend some time with their other children or simply to re-charge their batteries.
Who is shared care for?
Shared care is for children under the age of 18 years with disabilities, and their parents. Children may have a permanent or temporary disability, condition or injury which means they are eligible for support or services from us.
Who can be a carer?
If you are someone who enjoys being with children you can apply to be a carer for Cumbria Shared Care. You do not need expertise or experience with disability. Training, support and encouragement are provided by our team and the child's parents. The approval and training process takes roughly 3 months and involves interviews with Social Workers, checks and the taking up of references. Carers and their families are carefully matched with the disabled child to ensure the child "fits in". Depending on the needs of the child, the suitability of the host family's accommodation may also need to be considered.
What are the benefits?
Caring for a child with a disability can be demanding, but enjoyable and fun too. The rewards include seeing the delight on a child's face when they visit you and their satisfaction when they learn something new. Your family will also benefit from establishing a positive relationship with a disabled child and gaining confidence with disability and disability issues. Carers do receive a contribution to their costs and expenses.
Where can I find out more?
If you think you would be interested in Shared Care please contact your local Children's Services Family Placement Team who will discuss it with you by phone, and can arrange to visit you in your home to give you more information. If you would like to proceed further we can then offer training and begin the approval process.
For more information about your local scheme, please contact us for more information. You can ring your local office on:
Carlisle and Penrith on (01228) 607078
Workington and Whitehaven on (01900) 706356
Barrow-in-Furness on (01229) 894862
Kendal on (01539) 773312
or email us using our enquiry form: