Foster Care Fortnight – What’s stopping you? You can fit fostering around your family!

As we’re coming to the end of Foster Care Fortnight (Monday 15 May – Sunday 28 May 2023), our final article is around how you can fit fostering around your family.

Foster Care Fortnight infographic

Article credit: Shropshire Magazine – Name and location altered to maintain anonymity.

What’s stopping you? You can fit fostering around your family!

One of the common barriers to potential foster carers is a concern over the effect it will have on their own children… but as Annie from Oswestry explains, the impact of having other children in your home can actually be extremely beneficial.

She said:-

“I’d always wanted to foster, and my husband did too – in fact his best friend when he was younger was fostered so he knew what it involved. But as a working mum with three children of my own, I had to ensure the time was right.

“We talked it through as a family and decided to apply. At first we had quite definite ideas about the ages of the children we wanted to foster but the ages of the children ranged from under five to teenage, and you soon realise that their ages don’t matter: it is a child or young person and they all need that time and support. We now have a long-term placement of two siblings and couldn’t be happier.

“Watching our children welcome these young people into our home and make them part of our family has made me very proud of the young adults they have become. And it works both ways. The whole family is inspired by the children we foster, many of whom are dealing with some very difficult circumstances in a very mature way. We as a family can safely say we are proud to foster.”

Another worry amongst prospective carers is worrying ‘will I cope?’ As Annie said, the support on hand from Shropshire and other foster carers means that you’re never alone:-

“There’s a ‘buddy scheme’ that puts you in touch with an experienced foster carer and loads of additional support.

“If I were to talking to anyone thinking of fostering I would say ‘just apply and find out more’.

If you would like to know more about fostering, please call 0800 783 8798… you’ll never know until you make that call. Don’t think ‘I can’t foster’ – think ‘I can’.