Who can foster?
When we talk about who can foster, there tends to be an emphasis on the basics— that you must be over the age of 21, have the right to work in the UK, and have a suitable spare bedroom. However, just as important as these key requirements are your innate qualities.
When it comes to becoming a foster parent, we look for people who have strong personal qualities, regardless of their skills or experience. These are the core of what will make you a great foster parent, rather than having lots of skills or experience in looking after children. Our all-around support and excellent training opportunities will help you to develop all the skills you’ll need.
When you decide that you want to foster, we take the time to really get to know you throughout your journey with us, including your Form F assessment. We welcome dedicated, compassionate and caring people from all backgrounds who are willing to welcome a young person into their lives to consider becoming a foster parent.
What sort of qualities should a foster parent have?
None of us are perfect, and we’re all learning and evolving our skills every day. We aren't looking for perfection— we're looking for people who are passionate about helping children and who are ready to open up their homes to welcome a young person.
Everyone has different skills and talents, and we look for a wide range of qualities in our foster parents. Let’s explore some of those qualities which we celebrate in our foster parents, in no particular order.
Compassion
Care and compassion is the foundation of fostering. As a foster parent, you need an open heart and a strong desire to help others. Our foster parents strive every day to provide children with a loving and safe home where they can grow, learn, play and heal.
A loving and caring home environment creates the optimum conditions for a young person to heal from their past experiences and discover who they are and what brings them happiness. With a passion for caring for children and a desire to see them thrive, our foster parents are working to change lives every day.
Empathy
Equally as important as being caring and compassionate is the ability to empathise on a deep level. Many children who come to live with foster parents have experienced traumatic events, such as the loss of a parent, abuse, neglect, or being separated from loved ones. As a foster parent, you’ll need to be understanding of a child’s experiences, and do everything you can to see things from their perspective.
Our excellent training will help you to deepen your empathy even further, giving you an understanding of the science behind trauma as well as helping you to better understand challenging behaviours, which are often a way of communicating a need, or a response to trauma.
Hardworking
Dedication and hard work go hand in hand when it comes to fostering— when a child is staying with you, you’ll be their foster parent 24/7 and it’s your job to be there for them whenever they need you.
You’ll also be responsible for a range of tasks, such as filling out relevant paperwork and completing daily records for the child in your care. To be a foster parent takes real commitment and constant work to ensure that you’re providing the child you care for with the best standard of quality care possible.
Willingness to learn
As a foster parent, you’ll never stop learning. No foster parent would ever claim to know everything there is about fostering. New situations and challenges will arise throughout your fostering journey. Being open to learning new things is a must, and it can be incredibly rewarding to look back on your progress and learn new ways of helping the children in your care.
You’ll always be improving and developing your practice, whether that’s during day-to-day interactions with the children you care for or during our various types of training. You’ll have the opportunity to choose subjects which interest you most and which relate to the unique circumstances of the children in your care, giving you continuous opportunities to grow and flourish.
Patience
Patience and perseverance are key when fostering a child. Many children who are brought into the care system have endured adverse childhood experiences which can affect their development, social skills and their ability to trust others. It takes time and tailored care to help children to heal and progress.
Trust is carefully built over time and will look different for each child. Some children may build trusting bonds with you in a very short period of time; for other children, it may take years for them to trust you fully, and they may not express their feelings towards you in a way which feels familiar. Take comfort in knowing that every small step you take together is benefiting their overall wellbeing and helping them to become a well-rounded young person with a bright future to look forward to.
Flexibility
As a foster parent, it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. You’ll need to be ready to work around the needs and requirements of a child, doing all you can to ensure that they’re well taken care of and happy. Like with all types of parenting, things don’t always go to plan, so the ability to adapt to unexpected situations and innovate solutions is a great quality to have.
Flexibility is also a great trait if you’re interested in certain types of fostering, such as emergency fostering, where a child can come to stay with you at extremely short notice. Learn more about the different types of fostering which might suit you and your family.
Selflessness
Foster parents, like any other parents, must be enthusiastic about putting the needs of the children in their care above their own wants, feelings and opinions. When it comes to fostering, the needs of a child always come first, and you should always be prepared to act in their best interests in accordance with the care plan which has been laid out for them.
However, putting the needs of your foster child first doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice your own health and wellbeing. You should always pay close attention to your mental and physical wellbeing and be willing to reach out for help if you need it. Learn more about taking care of your mental health as a foster parent.
Strong interpersonal skills
The ability to create and maintain strong interpersonal relationships is crucial for foster parents. Having good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence is hugely important when building rapport with the child in your care and understanding their needs. These skills are also hugely beneficial if you choose to foster while your own children are still at home, helping you to ensure that the needs of every child in the home are understood and met.
The ability to develop strong interpersonal relationships also help you to develop of a strong support network, which is essential for every foster parent.
Good communication skills
Good communication skills go hand in hand with creating strong interpersonal relationships, and will be invaluable to you as a foster parent. Not only will they help you to develop a close bond with the young person in your care and ensure all their needs are met, they will also be important when you meet and interact with the family of the child you’re taking care of.
Having a strong ability to communicate will also be an asset in helping you to develop strong working relationships with professionals who are involved in the care of the young person you’re looking after, such as therapists or educational specialists.
Emotional resilience
Fostering has its highs and its lows, and when difficult times arise, it’s important that you are able to take care of yourself emotionally and work through the harder moments. Fostering is a huge commitment with so many benefits, and it has its challenges as well as incredible rewards. It’s important that you’re prepared for these moments, and that when the harder moments occur, you know where to turn for support.
Passion, not perfection
These are just some of the wonderful qualities which we celebrate in our foster parents. To be a great foster parent, you don’t have to be perfect— you do need to be committed, caring and passionate about ensuring the best outcomes for the children you take care of.
Our foster parents are never alone
Everyone needs someone to rely on from time to time. It’s important to have people in your life who will be there to support you, which will include your friends and family members, your supervising social worker, and other foster parents who you will get to know through our regular support groups, meet-ups and events.
When you join Orange Grove, you’re joining a network of support, and never need to feel alone. You’ll be able to rely on the incredible 24/7 support of our team.
Begin your journey with us today
Do you think you have qualities which could make you a great fit to become a foster parent? If so, we’d love for you to get in touch with us.
Fostering is for everyone; you don’t need experience of working with or looking after children to become a foster parent. You can foster as a couple, as a single person, and can even work while fostering.
If you’re interested in learning more, fill out our online enquiry form or give us a call on 0800 369 8513 to speak with a member of our friendly team. They’ll help you get started on your journey and give you all the information you need to take your first steps towards fostering.
