Reasons to Consider Foster Care

Every year throughout the United Kingdom thousands of children find themselves in need of the safety and security of a foster home.



Children of varying ages are in need of a foster family for a whole host of reasons; perhaps their parents are ill and unable to care for them or there is relationship breakdown within the family. Some children may find themselves in a situation where their wellbeing and safety is threatened and they must be removed from this environment until it is safe to return.



A child's loss and separation from their birth parents can be a turbulent time and a foster family can prove some much needed stability.



Children who have been removed from their family home can experience a range of feelings from fear and anger to complete helplessness as their family situation is out of their own control. Foster parents provide a temporary and safe home for children in crisis and foster carers look after children until their own family homes are safe to return to.



A foster carer can be required to provide a safe, secure and stable environment for these children for a period of time ranging from a few days to a few years and anything in between.



Many children will return to their family home following their foster placement whereas others may receive longer term support whether this is through continued fostering, adoption, residential care or being supported to live independently.



Being a foster carer is different to adopting a child. Fostering is a temporary provision for the children in need of it and any children in foster care remain the legal responsibility of the local authority and/or their birth parents. If a child is adopted then their relationship with their birth family is ended and they then become the responsibility of their adoptive parents.



Children in need of a safe and supportive foster home can range in age from very young to teenage. Some may be only children and others have brothers and sisters.



Every child in foster care is different and this is one of the joys of being a foster carer as each child arrives under different circumstances and presents a new challenge.



Foster care can help children to develop and reach their potential and being a part of this process can be hugely rewarding for their carers.



Deciding to become a foster carer is a decision that will change your current lifestyle and home environment and there are numerous support structures in place to assist foster carers throughout the United Kingdom.



If you are considering foster care then the first step in the process is to contact your local fostering service who will send you further information and help you to decide whether fostering is right for you. Speaking to foster carers in your area can also be a useful way to find out what fostering is really like.



Matthew Pressman writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.