Becoming a foster or kinship carer is a very important decision that will affect your life and the lives of those around you.
Experienced carers recognise the personal rewards this role brings to them and their families, but also acknowledge the many challenges in caring for the children placed with them.
Becoming a carer is a serious decision for any family. It is a commitment that should not be made without prior discussion and consideration of the changes and challenges that are part of the foster or kinship carer experience.
It is important that you sit down with your partner, your children or any other significant people in your life to consider the impact that fostering may have.
What other stresses are there on our family at the current time?
Is this a good time to invite new challenges?
How would we cope with the uncertainty of the duration children would stay in our care?
How would we cope if a child or young person placed in our home has difficult or out-of-the-ordinary behaviours?
Can we cope with a child or a young person returning to the care of their parents when we feel they may not provide the same standard of care we have?
How will our family adjust to the addition of other members? What changes, compromises or sacrifices will need to be made? Is everyone prepared to make these changes?
If you are in a relationship: is your relationship strong enough at this time for you and your partner to work as a team and support one another?
If you are single: have you considered the lifestyle changes and loss of privacy associated with sharing your home with a child or young person?
expanding your social and personal contacts.
sharing the decision-making for the children placed with you.
Experienced carers say the rewards outweigh the challenges and are most often found in the day-to-day moments that they experience through sharing their lives with children.