New To Fostering? Become A Foster Carer
Fostering Children & Young People
If you are considering welcoming a looked after child or young person into the family home then here is a brief insight into becoming a foster carer and to the type of people you could be meeting.
Fostering is a way of providing a safe and stable family life for children and young people whilst they cannot live with their parents or family. Children may be fostered for a number of reasons, their parents may be ill, in prison, or having relationship problems. Some children will have been neglected or abused.
Children in foster care can be all ages from babies and toddlers to teenagers. They may be on their own or with their brothers and sisters, and come from all different social and ethnic backgrounds.
Each child is a unique individual and will react to their experiences differently. Some will be anxious, confused, angry or afraid. Many children will feel let down by the adults in their lives. All these feelings may be expressed through challenging behaviour. With our training and support foster carers have the confidence and knowledge to be able to provide a child with an environment where they can develop trust in adults and help them reach their full potential.
Foster carers can look after children for a short period of time whilst their parents get help sorting out problems, and where it is in the child’s best interests, a foster parent provides a key role in helping children return safely to their parents. Some children may not be able to return to their parents and will need foster carers who can provide permanent placements where children will be supported through to adulthood.
Fostering is very different in many ways to looking after your own children. Fostering is not an activity that is undertaken in isolation, there is a need to work as part of a team with parents, social workers, teachers and other professionals to ensure children’s needs are fully met. Being a Foster parent may be fun, frustrating, rewarding, and challenging. It will however always be an opportunity to make an incredible difference to a child’s life.
“Don’t forget children are in foster care for a reason and people like you help them to lift their life up and I will definitely thank you all for helping us and for being there when we needed you”.
