Bernburg/Aschersleben. The first of three information days this year will take place on Wednesday 22 April in Aschersleben. “To give as many children from difficult backgrounds as possible a proper home with loving parents, we are always looking for new foster parents – single people or couples, with or without children of their own – in the Salzlandkreis district,” says Josephin Warthmann, Head of the Youth and Family Services Department.
Dates in Schönebeck and Bernburg will follow in August and September. "Anyone who finds their way to us will be comprehensively informed by our foster care service on these special days about the requirements, all support options and the entire process from interest to foster parenthood," adds the head of the specialised service.
The Salzlandkreis Foster Care Service is already supported by many foster parents. There are currently more than 300 foster care placements for children, the majority of which are long-term arrangements. In many cases, relatives also take on this role. Nevertheless, the number of children who, for a wide variety of reasons, cannot be raised within their own families is steadily increasing.
For children, family is the place of security and the feeling of being loved is the most important value of all. Those who are happy and content in their own lives often want to pass on a piece of this - perhaps also enabling a foster child to experience this happiness within the family. A big heart, emotional affection, trust and appreciation are probably the most important basis for wanting to do something good and give foster children a stable relationship. This task, which is not always easy, can be mastered if you are well prepared for possible problems or crises with professional support from the outset.
When taking in a foster child, foster parents receive a monthly basic and educational amount, a lump sum for appropriate old-age provision and an annual lump sum for accident insurance. The state of Saxony-Anhalt regulates the amount of the basic amount that each foster family receives, divided according to the age groups of the children. Accordingly, amounts ranging from 748 to 1,050 euros are currently paid out, plus an education allowance of 430 euros per month.
The Salzland district also provides financial support in the form of grants based on a guideline, for example for initial equipment when taking in a child. Grants are also possible if foster parents take a career break, for example.
"We have repositioned ourselves strategically and have now had a lot of good experiences with foster parents. With our foster care service as a professional point of contact, we support the foster parents wherever we can. We don't leave anyone on their own," emphasises Head of Specialist Services Josephin Warthmann, explaining that regular exchanges with other foster parents are also possible within a network that has been created.
The information events on the topic "Foster parents wanted - becoming foster parents" will take place at the district adult education centre in Aschersleben (Augustapromenade 44) on Wednesday, 22 April, in Schönebeck (Tischlerstraße 13a) on 26 August and in Bernburg (Vor dem Nienburger Tor 13a) on 16 September, in each case from 3 to 6 pm.
If you have any questions, please call
during business hours.