Thinking of fostering but not sure if you're a good candidate
It may surprise you to know that foster carers come from all walks of life, cultural and religious backgrounds and personal circumstances.
All you really need to become a good foster carer is the desire to make a positive difference to a child’s life:
- although there is a minimum age requirement of 21 to become a foster carer, there is no maximum age limit
- you can be single, living with a partner, in a same-sex relationship or married
- you may have children of your own or none at all
- you may rent or own your home
- you may live in a flat or a house
- you may or may not be in paid employment
What makes a good foster carer
What makes a good foster carer really comes down to personal qualities.
These include:
- the ability to understand a child or young person and their experiences and to empathise with them when they’ve been hurt or neglected
- the ability to be flexible and adapt to a child or young person’s needs
- the ability to negotiate, compromise and work as part of a team around the child, which includes social work, education and health care workers
- the ability to manage behaviour that can feel challenging with the awareness that the child or young person is communicating with you about what they need
- the ability to provide guidance for a child or young person
- a good sense of humour and an ability to enjoy happy times together (of which there will be many!)
Find out more
Get in touch if you want to find out more about fostering:
Get in touch to start your fostering journey today