Every day, professionals across the healthcare sector make a profound difference to the lives of others. Whether you’re a nurse, healthcare assistant, paramedic, therapist, support worker, social care practitioner or allied health professional, your career is built on compassion, resilience and dedication.
At Calon Cymru Fostering, we believe those same qualities make exceptional foster carers.
As Wales’ oldest Independent Fostering Agency, we have spent 30 years supporting children and young people across South Wales — and we know that some of the strongest foster carers come from healthcare backgrounds.
You already have the heart for it
Working in healthcare means you are no stranger to responsibility. You understand vulnerability. You know how to stay calm in challenging situations, offer reassurance in moments of uncertainty and advocate for those in your care.
Children who enter foster care often need exactly that.
They may have experienced trauma, instability or loss. What they need most is a safe, nurturing home with someone who can provide consistency, empathy and understanding.
Healthcare professionals are uniquely equipped to offer:
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Emotional reassurance and patience
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Confidence in managing complex needs
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Strong safeguarding awareness
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The ability to follow care plans and work collaboratively with professionals
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Resilience in challenging or high-pressure situations
Fostering is not about being perfect — it’s about being present, dependable and compassionate.
Understanding trauma and emotional wellbeing
Many children in care have experienced adverse childhood experiences. Healthcare professionals often have a deeper understanding of trauma, attachment, mental health and physical wellbeing — knowledge that can make a lasting difference in a young person’s development.
You may already be used to:
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Supporting individuals through anxiety or distress
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Recognising changes in behaviour or mood
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Providing structure and reassurance
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Working as part of a multidisciplinary team
As a foster carer, you continue working alongside professionals — including social workers, therapists and educators — to ensure children receive the support they need.
Scott Riddick, Director of Calon Cymru Fostering, explains:
“Healthcare professionals dedicate their careers to caring for others at some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. That same compassion and commitment is incredibly powerful in fostering. Across South Wales, foster carers are transforming the lives of children every day — providing stability, security and hope. With increasing numbers of children needing safe homes, the need to recruit skilled and empathetic foster carers has never been greater.”
A different kind of care, in your own home
For some healthcare professionals, fostering offers a meaningful change of pace. While healthcare roles can be demanding and shift-based, fostering allows you to focus your care and attention on one or more children in a family environment.
Some carers choose to foster full-time, while others explore fostering alongside flexible or reduced healthcare roles. At Calon Cymru, we provide:
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Comprehensive training
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24/7 support
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A dedicated supervising social worker
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Ongoing professional development
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A strong fostering community network
You won’t be doing it alone — you’ll be part of a supportive and experienced team.
Meeting a growing need in South Wales
Across South Wales, more children are coming into care and urgently need stable, local foster homes. Many need carers who can confidently support additional health needs, emotional challenges or developmental delays.
Your healthcare background could provide the stability and expertise that makes all the difference.
Fostering is not simply an extension of your job — it’s a chance to create a secure home where a child feels safe, valued and understood.
Could this be your next chapter?
If you work in healthcare and have ever thought about fostering, now could be the right time to explore it further.
You don’t need to have children of your own. You don’t need to be married. What matters most is your ability to provide a safe, supportive and nurturing home.
After 30 years of supporting children across South Wales, Calon Cymru Fostering remains committed to finding dedicated individuals who want to make a lifelong impact.
📞 Call us today on 0800 014 7331
🌐 Contact Us | Calon Cymru Fostering
Your career has already been built on care. With fostering, that care could change a child’s future, and shape the next chapter of your own.
