Volunteers: caseworker and mentors

The Foster Families Central is committed to creating and sustaining meaningful and potentially long-lasting relationships between caring adults and youth in foster care. We carefully match each child with a mentor or case worker based on their individual needs and provide ongoing support and training opportunities for all mentors and case workers. Mentors and caseworkers are also eligible to follow training, workshop and seminars that are organized for (candidate) foster parents.

The requirements to become a volunteer mentor or case-worker are:

• A minimum age of 21 years old
• Affinity in working with foster children and foster parents
• Willingness to help
• Being able to deal with children and adults in their situation
• Being available, sometimes also in acute situations and on weekends
• Being persistent, that is being able to put up with deceptions
• Being willing to cooperate with the guiding social worker(s)
• Report to the social worker or case worker of the Family Guardianship
• Being willing to cooperate with the Juvenile Court Magistrate

Become a caseworker!

Team work with the foster parents, social workers and therapists is the key to focusing on the original task, of providing a family atmosphere to a child who is most in need. The case worker is a valuable member of this team. The caseworker preferably has a background in counseling and working with children. Case worker visit the child and family or children home on a regular basis and reports to the department Family Guardianship concerning all developments and progress. The case worker works with a permanency/guidance plan and assists the foster parent and or children home with achieving the permanency/guidance goals set for the child.

The case worker has to:

• Create a mutual positive pattern of expectation with clients
• Lay a foundation of trust for the beginning of the process of assistance to the child and it’s family
• Pay of regular home visits to help follow the right way consequently
• Be on guard for the eventual danger of becoming the errand boy of the family, by always keeping in view the main task of care provider and attendant
• Take care of reporting as, among other things, an important means of help to get a clear review of the situation, possibly with the parents, guardians and child;
• Pass on or refer to certain problems that ask for professional help.

To download the ‘How to become a volunteer caseworker and mentor’ brochure, click here!
To download the ‘A family for every child’ poster, click here!

Become a mentor!

Mentoring is a matter of trust. Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there. A mentor is not a foster parent, therapist, parole officer, or cool peer.

Mentoring is an exciting and fun experience, which involves a small hourly voluntarily commitment per month for at least one year and a small amount of time. Your abilities and life experience may be of great help to a child or family in a time of need. For young people who are living through particularly challenging times, a stable adult in their lives can be invaluable. By using your influence and resources as a decision maker, you can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. And you'll be surprised how much you will benefit, as well.

Mentoring can help by:

• Improving young people’s attitudes towards their parents, peers and teachers;
• Encouraging students to stay motivated and focused on their education;
• Providing a positive way for young people to spend free time;
• Helping young people face daily challenges; and
• Offering young people opportunities to consider new career paths and get much-needed economic skills and knowledge.

The tasks and responsibilities of the mentor can be described as follows:

• Being a role positive model for the foster child
• Establishing a positive personal relationship with the foster child
• Assist in developing the foster child life
• Assists in developing the foster child competencies in specifics fields of interest
• Undertake social and leisure activities with the foster child
• Assist in increasing the foster child’s ability to interact with other social and cultural groups

To download the ‘How to become a volunteer caseworker and mentor’ click here!
To download the ‘A family for every child’ poster, click here!