Have You Ever Considered Fostering?

Fostering, along with many other things in the world, is a selfless act. And with so many children in need of care and attention, love and nurturing, foster parents and carers are needed more than ever. How can you benefit a child, who is unable to live with their natural birth parents, and still lead a relatively normal life? Below are just a few reasons why you should consider fostering.

Why Help?

There are many reasons for children in need of foster care. Sometimes the parent may have experienced their own personal problems and simply cannot cope with the stresses of looking after a child for a few days or weeks, and other times a child may need a more permanent home, in a stable environment.

The responsibility of the foster carer is to provide steady and nurturing care, in a safe and warm home, whilst working alongside healthcare professionals, social workers and others, to ensure that the child is comforted and made to feel as settled as possible. Keeping in contact with the birth parents is also an important aspect of fostering; maintaining sensible and strict relationships with them will enable a cleaner transition for when the child comes to leave your care.

Many foster workers state that they chose this path in life because there are so many children that need to be helped and without the work of foster carers, they simply would be ignored or forgotten. It is a particularly demanding job, but the rewards that come from it are even greater than the effort needed to put in. Many people state that working in foster care helps them to believe that they are doing something interesting and worthwhile with their lives, whilst helping young people get a better start in life, something which they probably wouldn’t have without a supportive and caring foster worker.

Which Type?

Foster workers tend to have their own families and responsibilities to continue with, so it’s down to personal preference which type of fostering care would be suitable for you. Sometimes, when a crisis occurs, children need a home for the night, or for a few days. Emergency foster workers usually take care of these children, and also prepare for the fact that they may be there longer than originally believed.

Short-team foster carers often take on children who only need a night, or a few days to stay, but this can lead up to several months. If the placement continues longer than this, then long-term foster care should be considered. Living in a long-term foster home ensures that the child, or children, feel settled for a prolonged amount of time.

Any type of foster care you choose will always lead to the same results. You will be helping and engaging with children who have been abandoned or are going through a period of transition in their lives. Fostering means you’ll meet many different characters and personalities, so it’s a job, and passion, full of variety and diversity.

David is a big advocate of fostering and believes anyone can make a difference to a childs life by looking into foster care.