What is Fostering?

Fostering is about looking after other peoples' children in your own home. These are children and young people who need to live apart from their own families for varying lengths of time, for a variety of reasons. It involves taking responsibility for some aspects of direct parenting and also working closely with the Social Work Department, to give these children and young people a positive, caring experience. Fostering is an increasingly skilled job, with expectations which match the needs and circumstances of the individual children and young people involved.

There are all sorts of reasons why children and young people can't be at home with their own families. Many will have experienced difficulties, possibly involving physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect. Some will have come from families with a history of mental illness, learning disabilities or drug/alcohol abuse. Others will need to be looked after because of a family crisis.

Some will have had several 'parent figures', or a number of different moves already; perhaps including previous stays with foster carers. They may have been let down by several adults in their past, so learning to trust again can be difficult and scary for them. Some will need extra support and guidance to work through adolescent issues. Some will have other difficulties to manage, like conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or perhaps a physical or learning disability.

A child or young person's past difficult experiences will probably be reflected in how she/he behaves, so being a foster carer can be a challenging experience when your patience may be tested to the limit. On the other hand, there are many rewards, including the satisfaction of helping a child in your own community.

Don't worry!   You won't be left to deal with these challenges on your own. Fostering is about working together with the Social Work Department to achieve the best possible outcome for each individual child or young person. Each carer family has its own family placement worker -- an experienced, qualified social worker -- who has regular contact and is on hand to give advice, guidance and support as appropriate/necessary.