What Do Foster Carers Do? – The Carers’ View
- Provide support
- Make a difference by being there
- Teach social skills
- Provide love
- Enjoy the company of young people
- Have young people as part of their family
- Understand fostering is not easy – because human beings are complicated
- Give something back – including your own children
- Break the cycle by providing structure, routines, and safety
- Provide laughter, time, and activities
- Fill roles such as parent, carer, advocate, teacher, listener, mentor and understand these change on a daily basis
- Provide a stable family life
- Act as a professional parent, and deal with other professionals
- Nurture – provide structure and a way of life
- Give young people a bit more of a childhood
- Develop and help a young person’s confidence
- Provide a safe place, hope, aspirations, learning, and normality
- Include young people in your life
- Stay resilient and have a sense of humour
- Have patience and the capacity to behave like a child yourself
- Be very caring
- Be open to everything
What's Problematic?
- Offences against children
- No spare bedroom
- No relevant experience
- Untested relationships
- Aged under 25
- Significant health issues
- Unable to make fostering your priority
- Unhygienic home conditions
What’s Ideal – a Young Person Perspective
- Someone who includes them in the family
- Laidback but strict when necessary
- Not judgemental
- Someone who respects their views and opinions
- Someone who will provide them with essentials
- Open minded
- Have a sense of humour
- Provide a warm home (physically and emotionally) to go back to