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Having a Career Change at 30
Sometimes, the job you start your career journey on doesn’t turn out to be quite right.
A career change at 30 might seem a little scary, but if you’re finding your current role unfulfilling or unchallenging, and you are keen to embark on a new profession that challenges and rewards you, then working with children and fostering could be just what you’re looking for.
Looking for a new career at 30
If you’ve ever wondered ‘can you change careers at 30,’ then the answer is yes! This is the perfect age to begin a new career journey, especially if you’re finding your current one unfulfilling.
Changing careers at 30 allows you to take the transferable skills you’ve already gained and pivot into a new role that not only pays you well but allows you to progress and make a difference in your community all at the same time.
We understand that the thought of changing careers at 30 might feel a little daunting. After all, you might still have some rungs to climb on your current professional ladder, or you might be concerned about changing your current profession after investing time into it.
But a new career at 30 gives you plenty of time to become an expert in your next chosen field. And with a career like fostering, you have a huge amount of scope to become an expert in specialist placements such as fostering children with disabilities or caring for teenagers.
Find your local fostering agency
Interested in fostering children in the UK? We train and support foster parents across England and Scotland, and provide positive family experiences to hundreds of children in foster care. All of our offices are rated as 'Outstanding' or 'Good' by Ofsted.
Find your local office by entering your postcode below.
Why fostering makes a great career
From learning new skills to discovering a rewarding life purpose, fostering is a unique opportunity to grow as a person while making a huge difference.
The truth is, there has never been a more important time to become a foster parent. With a national shortage of foster families and around 30,000 new children coming into care every year, there are simply not enough foster carers available to care for vulnerable children in need of a safe and loving home.
Fostering is one of the most rewarding careers available. It’s a job that allows you to positively change a child’s life, while giving you the opportunity to grow through comprehensive training, become part of a truly special network of carers, and earn a professional fee with growth.
At 30, you can bring your skills, energy, and desire to make a change into a new profession that needs you.
So, if you’re wondering how to make a career change at 30, then have a look at some of the amazing benefits of becoming a foster parent.
The benefits of fostering as a new career at 30
In 2022, foster parents in their 20s and 30s accounted for just over a quarter (26%) of all newly approved foster carers.
This might be a little surprising, but when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. There are so many benefits to being a younger foster parent, such as:
- You’ve got the energy to keep up with playful or energetic children.
- You’re likely to have more understanding about the younger culture, and can possibly relate to teenagers and their struggles.
- You’re aware of how important it is for the new generations to succeed and lead healthy, happy lives.
- You don’t need to have childcare experience as all training is provided.
- You’ve got loads of time to hone your skills and become an expert in caring for children who have had difficult lives.
- It’s an alternative way to care for others and be a parent if you don’t want biological children of your own.
You might think restarting a career at 30 (unlike changing careers at 40) might feel a little apprehensive, as you’re still learning so much, but pivoting into a new and exciting role like fostering comes with so many benefits.
Transferable skills
You don’t need to have child-caring superpowers or even experience in childcare to be an amazing foster parent. The skills you’ve learned in your previous roles, having your own children, or the life lessons you have built can play a big part as a foster parent.
Transferable skills from other jobs such as being a good listener, empathy, being a team player, resilience, patience, organisation, having an open mind, and compassion make brilliant traits in foster carers. And these are skills that can be picked up through many careers.
Combine these with your dedication to making a difference and ongoing foster care training, and it’s safe to say you’ll make a wonderful foster carer.
A competitive salary
As with any good career, fostering with Fosterplus offers a generous fee. The work our foster carers do is vital, as we believe they should be compensated fairly for their hard work, time, and dedication to making children’s lives better.
Our fostering allowance and benefits package covers the cost of caring for children, and rewards you with a professional fee for your hard work and care.
Once you start fostering, you’ll receive an allowance of between £18,182 and £28,738 per child, per year (depending on where you live, the age and number of children in your care, the type of fostering placement you choose, your experience, etc).
Fosterplus foster parents benefit from:
- Tax relief and National Insurance benefits
- Ad hoc payments for birthdays and celebrations
- Loads of discounts and rewards
- Refer-a-Friend bonus scheme
- Events and activities paid by us
- Paid respite for foster parents in England and holiday allowance for foster parents in Scotland
- Support from a dedicated team, every day of the year
Making a difference
Fostering is one of the most exciting, challenging and rewarding professions out there. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference to vulnerable children and your community. It’s an active profession that helps the next generation of children grow up in healthy and secure homes, giving them a real chance to reach their full potential and have a positive future.
As a foster parent, you’ll be a role model, a parent, and a teacher, helping the children in your care to overcome trust issues, build confidence, feel love, and grow into successful adults themselves.
It can also make a massive difference in your life. Becoming a foster parent can open your eyes to new cultures, teach you things about yourself, allow you to grow as a person, and help you develop lifelong skills.
Are you ready to start fostering?
If you’re looking for a career change at 30, then fostering could be the perfect answer. As long as you have the legal right to live in the UK and have a spare bedroom for a foster child to call their own, you could apply now to start fostering.
Get in touch with our team today and they’ll give you a call back to answer your questions and help you decide if fostering is right for you.
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