Foster Care – Be Prepared

Before starting the fostering process, it is advisable to identify the type of care you are willing to provide. Remember that children entering the system have different needs, some children will have special needs, some will require urgent care for only a few hours or days, while others require long-term care and may be in your home for years or years. they are even old enough to start working and move house.

It is very difficult when it comes to foster care, you must remember that this is not adoption and therefore there will come a time when you will have to let the child in your care go. They may leave for various reasons. They can come home and only stayed with you while their parents were sick or in the hospital, they can be adopted by another family and it’s time for them to go home forever, or they can go to college and it’s the same as saying goodbye of your own children as you watch them go off to start their own lives. Parenting can be difficult and you need to make sure you are prepared and able to return the child when it is time to do so.

Be sure to plan ahead. Remember that a child in your care in foster care is likely to leave in the future. This can be in a couple of days, weeks, months or years. Planning ahead allows you to say goodbye and also to know what you are going to say to make sure the child understands why she is leaving and why she cannot stay with you. A child who has been in her care and settled into a good routine in a stable home is not going to understand that he has now been adopted and has to go. Your specialized foster care agency should be able to provide you with the necessary support, allowing you to explain it to the child so that he understands what will happen in the future.

In addition to this, be realistic about what you can manage. Whether you work or are home all day, you will determine whether you can care for a very young child or whether you should focus on caring for school-age children who will be in school while you work. Also, remember that some of these children have special needs, which can range from severe disabilities to learning difficulties. You should identify with your social worker to identify what you feel you can handle. There is no right or wrong, and if you think you don’t have what it takes to handle a child with severe disabilities, then be honest and make sure you always provide the best home environment for each child in your care at all times.

Expect some difficulty. Some of the children who come to your home can be very suspicious. Remember that they haven’t had the best start in life, so expect some difficulties in terms of behavior, misbehavior, and maybe even being too clingy. Take comfort in the fact that you can’t control everything, be patient and work with your support team to ensure you have the support you need at all times.

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