Fostering involves caring for a child or young person who is unable to live with their parents or usual caregivers for a period of time. Foster carers provide a safe, stable and nurturing home while plans are made and reviewed for the child’s future.
Every child and young person is unique. They come with their own personality, experiences, strengths, interests, relationships and hopes for the future. Foster carers play an important role in helping children feel cared for, respected and included, while supporting their day-to-day needs, wellbeing and development.
Fostering can be both rewarding and challenging. It requires commitment, flexibility and an understanding that children may need time, patience and support to feel safe and build trusting relationships.
Providing everyday care
Much of fostering involves the same responsibilities that any parent or caregiver undertakes each day. This may include:
- Providing a safe and welcoming home environment.
- Supporting a child’s health, education and wellbeing.
- Helping children take part in activities, hobbies and friendships.
- Establishing consistent routines and boundaries.
- Celebrating achievements and encouraging confidence and self-esteem.
- Supporting children to develop independence and life skills appropriate to their age and stage of development.
These everyday experiences can help children and young people develop a sense of belonging, stability and security.
Supporting children’s relationships and identity
Children in foster care often have important relationships with family members and other significant people in their lives. Depending on their individual care plan, foster carers may help support these relationships.
Foster carers also help children develop a positive understanding of who they are. This can include supporting a child’s:
- Cultural, ethnic and racial identity.
- Faith or spirituality.
- Language and heritage.
- Family and community connections.
- Personal history and life experiences.
Supporting identity is an important part of helping children build self-confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging.
Understanding children’s experiences
Children who need foster care may have experienced separation, loss, uncertainty, trauma or significant changes in their lives. These experiences can affect how children communicate, behave, manage emotions and build relationships.
Foster carers are not expected to have all the answers. However, they do need to be willing to learn about children’s experiences and respond with patience, empathy and understanding.
A trauma-informed approach recognises that behaviour is often a form of communication and that positive relationships can help children feel safer and more secure over time.
Working as part of a team around the child
Fostering is not something that happens in isolation. Foster carers are part of a wider team working to support the child or young person.
This may involve working alongside professionals and maintaining communication about a child’s wellbeing, progress and needs. As a foster carer, you will also have a supervising social worker who will provide regular support and supervision, helping you to reflect on the child’s needs, discuss any challenges and identify any additional support that may be required.
Working collaboratively with professionals and your supervising social worker can help ensure that children and young people receive consistent, child-centred care that supports their wellbeing and development.
Different types of fostering
Children need foster care for different reasons and at different stages of their lives. As a result, fostering can take different forms depending on a child’s circumstances and needs.
Not every foster carer will be approved to care for every child, and not every child will be matched with every approved foster carer. Matching decisions are made carefully, taking account of a child’s individual circumstances, needs, relationships and identity.
A role with responsibility
Fostering is a significant responsibility. Before becoming approved, prospective foster carers take part in an assessment process designed to consider their ability to provide safe, nurturing care for children and young people.
The process involves assessment, references, safeguarding checks and training.
Making an enquiry about fostering does not guarantee approval, and approval does not guarantee that a child will be placed with you.
Making a difference
Children and young people need adults who can offer consistency, compassion and support during an important period in their lives. While every fostering experience is different, foster carers can play a valuable role in helping children feel safe, understood and cared for.
If you are considering fostering, taking time to learn more about the role, responsibilities and expectations can help you decide whether it is right for you.