Meet the foster carers who set up their own agency

Subsequently, the need for more foster carers is greater than ever. Nobody is more aware of the current situation than the team behind the Birmingham-based foster care company Happy Hearts Fostering Service, which encompasses the West Midlands.Maybe you have been considering becoming a foster carer, but have stopped short, for whatever reason, to committing. Maybe this is the first time you have considered fostering and would like to find out more.

Nayla Khan of Happy Hearts. Nayla is the Responsible Individual and director at Happy Hearts (Image: Happy Hearts)

To take the next step, reach out to Happy Hearts Foster Care. What makes Happy Hearts crucially that bit different to many other fostering agencies are the people behind the agency Rizwan and Nayla Khan – who have themselves been foster carers.

Founded in 2021 by Rizwan and Nayla, to meet the needs of children and young people who require high quality foster placements, Happy Hearts is a small, independent, family run  fostering service. There’s no aspect of fostering they are not familiar with or have not experienced themselves, which places Happy Hearts in the perfect position to advise prospective foster carers, while offering unwavering support to new and established carers.

“We will always stand by our foster carers in all circumstances and provide thorough and continuous training and support,” said Nayla.

“We run a 24/7 support line, so help is just a phone call away.

Having been foster carers ourselves we understand the requirements of foster carers (Image: Getty)

“Having been foster carers ourselves for many years, not only do we understand the requirements of foster carers, but we also genuinely value them. We appreciate the role of a foster carer and the changes they can bring to the lives of children and young people, making us the ideal fostering agency to offer advice, support, and guidance to both new and experienced carers.”

Possibly one of the main hurdles faced by Nayla and Rizwan when it comes to recruiting new foster carers are the misconceptions and myths around who can foster.

“As long as you have space and time to commit, anybody from any background, colour, creed, sexual orientation can foster – foster carers come from all walks of life,” added Nayla, who added, “Becoming a foster carer is a straightforward process, and it doesn’t cost you a penny.”

How to become a foster carer

Once we confirm your eligibility, becoming a foster carer is a simple five-steps process.

Becoming a foster carer is a straightforward process (Image: Getty Images)

1. Initial enquiry with one of our friendly team
2. Home visit – we’ll arrange an informal home visit before advancing the application
3. Fostering assessment – completion of the fostering Form F with an allocated assessor
4. Fostering Panel – meet the panel for fostering suitability and approval
5. Your first placement

Happy Hearts provides a variety of different types of fostering placements to meet the individual needs of the child or young person. These include;

• Long-term fostering short -term fostering
• Emergency fostering
• Respite and Short-Break fostering
• Remand fostering
• Parent and Child fostering
• Sibling fostering
• Fostering for disabled children
• Fostering for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC)
• Step down fostering

At Happy Hearts, they have a shared vision to empower foster carers to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Happy Hearts recognises the complexities involved in fostering and fully acknowledges the invaluable role foster carers play in caring for children and young people.

If you feel that now is the time to take the next step to becoming a foster carer, then please contact Happy Hearts Foster Care, by clicking here.

call us at 03333449409

Email: info@happyheartsfostercare.co.uk

Web: happyheartsfostercare.co.uk