Foster carers have so many opportunities to make a meaningful difference, but what impact will you really have? The truth is, there are too many to count. That being said, it is great to explore them nonetheless. This post highlights the top factors that come as a direct result of fostering children.
You Will Gift a Safe Environment
A foster carer will provide a safe environment for every child that comes into their care, and this is the biggest impact of all. That is why this point sits firmly at the top of the list. Feeling safe has a fundamental influence on how a child develops, and it dictates exactly how they feel at any given moment. There is a distinct possibility that any child coming into a fostering environment has not experienced a strong sense of safety prior to their arrival. Their foster carer’s home will change this for the better by ensuring their needs are met, they have a reliable adult, and an arena where they can be themselves.
You Will Help Someone Grow
No path is ever set in stone. Fostering opens the door to endless possibilities for both carers and children alike, and it is here that authentic growth can manifest. A child with a strong, stable carer can access a plethora of support like therapy, educational input, and general well-being structures that will enable them to become who they were supposed to be all along.
You Can Help a Young Person Re-Engage
Sometimes, foster children struggle to engage with their education. This can be because of many prohibitive factors from a lack of parental input to a deficit in understanding within their school. Whatever the case, as a foster carer, you are in the unique position to be able to make a noticeable difference. You will advocate for the best path forward and facilitate a positive re-engagement with any learning journey that comes your way. Having access to and being a part of education is extremely important for all young people and it can have a major impact on their trajectory later in life.
You Will Provide Essential Support
One thing you will learn throughout the foster carer training sessions is that your role is one centered around support. You will be a point of support for a foster child, but as a carer you have access to a team of people who have your back as well. That is because it is a collaborative effort, and you are at the centre. Agencies such as fosteringpeople.co.uk strive to provide tailored provisions for all carers, and you will become a big part of that.
Somewhere to Come Back To
Whatever the outcome with your foster child, you have the opportunity to give them a safe space that they can always return to. Everyone needs people around them that they can lean on in hard times and celebrate when things are great. It is often the case that foster carers are a point of contact for the children they look after long after they have grown up and moved on.
The long-lasting impact foster carers have is positively astounding. This role will be one that makes more of a difference than you could ever imagine.