Child welfare foster carer

AVA Family Services offers the opportunity to work as either a short-term receiving foster carer or a long-term foster carer. Short-term foster care means that a child or young person is placed in foster care for a short time, usually from a few days to several months. Long-term foster care means that a child or young person is placed in foster care for a longer period under the Child Welfare Act. Family placement is an open-care support measure through which an entire family can be placed in the foster carer’s home, during which the need for support is assessed and the family is supported in its parenting role. We are looking for foster carers for child welfare. No social-services education is required to become a foster carer; what matters most is persistence, warmth, and the ability to meet even a child’s difficult emotions safely. As a foster carer, you are a permanent and trustworthy adult for the child, offering security and continuity in everyday life. We expect you to be able to practise therapeutic parenting, meet the child emotionally, support their rehabilitation, and create a safe growing environment that promotes learning. Your collaboration skills are strong, as you work systematically with the child’s parents, close network, and authorities in accordance with the client plan. We also expect the whole family to be committed: other family members must accept the placed child and be able to offer them an equal place in the family throughout the placement. Working as a foster carer is a challenging task that requires strong support. We offer: - Regular home visits and telephone discussions with the responsible foster-care worker. - Rapid and flexible support services. - Temporary childcare assistance. - Work supervision and peer-group activities. - Mentoring. - Consultation visits by a specialist. - Training. - Recreational days for the whole family. - A 24/7 telephone on-call service. - A competitive fee and expense reimbursement. A child-welfare foster carer may act alone or together with their spouse. Working as a foster carer requires completion of preparatory training. AVA Family Services provides free PRIDE preparatory training for people becoming foster carers. The aim of the training is to provide enough information about foster parenting for participants to make an informed decision about taking on the role, and to ensure that every child needing a foster family has the opportunity to join a well-prepared family and receive care and support suited to their individual needs. The next PRIDE training begins on 7 November 2026. For more information: Lisa Sipilä, Service Manager lisa.sipila@avaperhepalvelut.fi Tel. 040-779 9161