Maybe you have been reading the news and hearing about the thousands of foster children that pass through the system year after year. In your great love of children, you may be thinking this is something you can do but you have questions keeping you from applying to be a foster carer.
This is quite normal because it will be as new for you as it will be for the children placed in your care. In order to help, we will look at three of the most common questions prospective foster carers ask. The answers to these questions should help you decide if being a foster carer is right for you.
1. Will I Be Able to Afford Caring for Them?
This is a common concern most of the time, but it is especially pressing at the moment because the economy hasn’t quite yet bounced back to pre-pandemic days. One thing that should reassure you is the fact that private fostering agencies like fosteringpeople.co.uk offer a generous care allowance that will more than help you care for the children in your care. You will be well compensated so that you and the children placed with you will have all your needs met.
2. What if the Children Aren’t a Good Match?
Here is another common question prospective foster carers are concerned with. What if the children placed with them aren’t a good match for their family and the community in which you live? That is something the social worker and the fostering agency will go over with you at great length. Bear in mind that these children have been removed from their birth families whilst parents work toward reunification.
The focus is always on the children. Therefore, where they are placed is critical. Most of the children don’t quite understand what is happening so placement with a family most suitable for them carries great weight. On the other hand, you are free to meet with the children prior to placement so that the social worker’s team and you can see if there is the potential of bonding with them. No one wants you to be uncomfortable with the children in your care, after all.
3. Can We Go on Holiday with Foster Children?
Most of the time you are free to travel about the UK but there may be some travel restrictions until you have documented agreements to take the foster children to Europe, for example. There will be a social worker on the case for the entire time the children reside with you, and travelling has rarely been an issue. Again, it’s a case-by-case assessment, but the short answer is, yes, you can go on holiday with the children if and when allowed, and passports for foster children are explained here.
If you have it in your heart to be there for these children in need of a loving family to reside with, then these questions should help you understand that the most common concerns can easily be addressed. With that said, you will never know unless you talk to the agency. They will have the answers you need.
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