Fostering a child can be both rewarding and exciting. On the other hand, becoming a foster parent can also be challenging. In general, foster care can be defined as temporary guardianship/custody for children whose parents are unable to look after them or dead. These placements can last for anywhere between a few days to several years. As with almost anything in life, there are two sides to fostering – on one side there is what you expect and on the other, there is the reality. Fortunately, you can make things easier on yourself, as well as the child you choose to foster, by taking the time to familiarize yourself with everything that parents should know before fostering.

With that said, continue reading below to find out more about how to succeed as a foster parent.

Why are You Fostering?

According to Orchard Fostering, to truly excel at fostering, you must have a good understanding of why you are fostering. As a foster parent, you may not be able to adopt the children in question – in some cases. This means that you need to take the time to understand the reasoning behind fostering. You also need to familiarise yourself with your main duties and responsibilities as a foster parent.

You can take this opportunity to connect with adoption and foster care professionals, as well as any local support groups that can provide you with the assistance you need in your fostering journey.

Keep Reunification in Mind

Reunification is the main goal of care. In most cases, children end up in the system when their home becomes unfit for them. However, this is likely to change as their biological parents take the necessary measures to remedy the situation and get back to caring for their children. Even though some foster parents do end up adopting the children under their care, most kids normally return to their families.

Letting kids who have been under your care go back to their parents can be a difficult experience. As such, you need to think about it, when weighing the pros and cons of fostering.

Get All the Qualifications and Support You Can

To become a foster parent, you do not need any specific qualifications. However, it is important to prepare for your duties and responsibilities by getting all the support and qualifications that you can. For starters, you will need to attend any classes that will help you get approved as a foster carer. Since you will be acting as an advocate with the family, at daycare, school and the relevant child services agency for the child in question, you will need to be trained on how to properly represent them and their needs.

Lastly, you also need to know what to do if you end up with a child with special needs, requires counselling, or has suffered some form of trauma.

Get as Much Information as Possible

You need to remember that the child that comes through your door has had a whole life before finding their way to you. As such, you need to find out as much as you can about them and their previous life in order to be a better foster carer. This information will go a long way towards helping you provide better care and support.

With that in mind, it is recommended that you take the time to ask the caseworker all the questions you can think of – some will come to mind as you move along the care journey, so don’t be afraid to go back for more answers. Consider asking about age, gender, reason for removal, school information, medical records and visitation expectations, and more, during the initial placement call. You can prepare a checklist to ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Prepare for the Highs and Lows

Fostering can take a huge toll on your mental, emotional and physical well-being. While it can be very rewarding, it is also challenging at times. As such, you should be ready for it. You need to take good care of yourself simply because your physical and mental health is as important as that of the child placed under your care.

In addition to attending counselling sessions and talking to a therapist to explore your emotions, you should also take advantage of the services offered by the local agency.

Know Your Limits

Last but not least, you need to be aware of what you can handle. What type of care can you be able to provide? Are you suited to caring for an older child or can you handle an infant? Simply put, you should always strive to get a placement that is a good fit for your family and perfectly matches your capabilities.

Conclusion

If you have decided to become a foster parent, you are not alone. While this undertaking may come with some unique challenges, it promises to be quite fulfilling. With the above considerations in mind and in practice, you can be sure of having everything you need to positively impact the life of a child that needs you.