Contents
Making the decision to become a foster carer is not one to take lightly. While fostering vulnerable children is an incredibly rewarding experience, it also comes with significant challenges. As you consider whether fostering is right for your family, here are six tough questions you should reflect on:
Do I Have the Time and Energy Required?
Fostering requires a major time commitment. Are you able to make fostering a priority amidst other family or work obligations? Children coming into care often demand extra emotional support from their foster families, supervision, or involvement in therapies and meetings. Determine whether you can provide consistent care while balancing existing commitments.
Am I Prepared to Welcome a Child without Notice?
Placements often happen quickly, sometimes with less than 24 hours’ notice. This could mean rapidly accommodating a new member into your household. Consider whether you can handle sudden changes and last-minute preparations like setting up a bedroom. However, you will always have to agree to a child being placed with you first, so it will never be a total surprise. Sometimes, it may just happen quite quickly, especially if you do emergency fostering.
How Might Fostering Impact My Family?
Seriously weigh up how bringing a foster child into your home might affect family relationships or dynamics. Involve your children already living with you or your partner in discussions early on. Fostering will impact the whole family, so commitment from all members is vital.
Do I Have Realistic Expectations?
Avoid unrealistic ideals about “saving” children or quickly forming bonds. The reality can be challenging. Children needing foster care have often faced trauma and instability, so exhibiting challenging behaviours is common. Make sure you have reasonable expectations of the likely obstacles and rewards.
Am I Emotionally Ready to Say Goodbye?
Not every foster placement results in adoption. Be prepared that children may leave your home after forming attachments. While goodbyes are hard, focusing on providing the best care possible while the child is with you can help ease the transition.
Do I Have a Support System in Place?
Fostering can be an isolating and stressful role at times. Having trusted friends, family or other foster carers you can lean on makes a vital difference. Building your support network in advance helps ensure you don’t feel alone when facing difficulties. Of course, you’ll also have the support from your fostering provider too.
Am I Financially Stable Enough?
Fostering does come with financial implications. While foster carers receive an allowance, you only receive this when a child is placed with you. So, you will need to consider how you will manage financially when you are not receiving the fostering allowance. You may also need to consider what your working arrangements will be and how this might work around your fostering responsibilities. Going through the assessment process also involves taking time off work for training and meetings. Make sure to evaluate your current finances and budget to determine if fostering is viable.
Reflecting carefully on these key questions allows you to evaluate if you and your family have what it takes to provide vulnerable children the stability, care and nurturing they deserve. While challenging, fostering also brings profound purpose and fulfilment. If you feel ready to open both your home and heart, contact your local fostering agency to learn how you can transform a child’s life for the better.
