
What No-One Tells You About Fostering in England
Fostering a child is one of the most rewarding roles you can undertake, but like any parenting journey, fostering in England comes with its own set of unique challenges and experiences. If you’re considering fostering in England, it’s important to have a realistic understanding of what to expect. At Family Fostering Partners, we never shy away from difficult questions; this blog will explore the lesser-discussed aspects of fostering, from its challenges to its deeply fulfilling rewards.
The Challenges of Fostering in England
Fostering, like any parenting journey, is filled with both emotional and practical hurdles that require work to overcome. Many children requiring foster care will have experienced instability in their lives, which can often result in additional emotional and behavioural needs. Those fostering in England with Family Fostering Partners understand the need for foster parents to have patience, empathy, and resilience to help the children in their care to understand their emotions and work through these challenges.
Another challenge is the emotional toll that fostering in England can sometimes take. At Family Fostering Partners, naturally, we see firsthand our foster parents forming strong bonds and attachments to the children in their care, which makes placements ending, and children moving on emotionally difficult at times. David, an experienced foster parent with Family Fostering Partners explains “A question that people always ask is, “how can you do it? How were you able to give those children back? Because I could never manage to do that”. And my answer to that is, it hurts. It really, really hurts. But you know you’re doing your role properly if it does. That’s normal.”
What Is the Biggest Challenge of Fostering a Child in the UK?
The biggest challenge of fostering in England varies from family to family – some find administrative tasks like record keeping tricky to manage, whilst others may find it harder to adapt to balancing the needs of the children in their care against their own family’s needs.
Support Offered to Those Fostering in England
To address these challenges, Family Fostering Partners offers all foster parents a substantial support package – this includes regular check ins with a dedicated link worker, a 24/7 advice lines, online and in person support groups, and free membership to Foster Talk who provide a counselling service to those fostering in England with FFP. We also provide dedicated adoption training, and placement ending training, to navigate the trickier emotional stages of your fostering journey.
Why Do Foster Carers Quit?
While fostering is an incredibly rewarding experience, those fostering in England may decide to finish fostering for a variety of reasons. Common reasons include:
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- Lack of support: Unfortunately, some foster parents feel unsupported by their fostering agency or the local authorities they work with. At Family Fostering Partners, support for our foster parents is integral to everything that we do. Learn more about our core values and ethos.
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- Personal Choice: Often, foster parents will look after a child or children until they reach 18 years of age. They may decide that having fostered for a while that they are now ready to finish their fostering career.
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- Placement breakdowns: Challenging behaviours or mismatched placements can discourage foster parents, especially if they have not received the appropriate training or support. At Family Fostering Partners, we provide our foster parents with a full and extensive training programme, which adapts to the changing needs of the children in your care. Another priority for us is making good matching a priority; we match children whose age, interests and personality align alongside yours and your families.
Many people fostering in England may choose to transfer agencies due to poor matching or poor support offered – Learn more about transferring agencies.
The Rewards of Fostering a Child in the UK
Despite its challenges, fostering in England is an experience that brings immense rewards. One of the most profound rewards is witnessing the positive impact you can have on a child’s life. Helping a child develop confidence and trust and helping them to feel secure and safe is an unparalleled experience. Hear from Davin, a care experienced individual who credits his foster parents for making him “the person he is today”.
Fostering in England is a unique journey filled with both challenges and rewards. While the emotional and practical demands should not be understated, the opportunity to transform a child’s life is unparallelled. Additionally, with the support and guidance available from us at Family Fostering Partners, you can be assured that you are as prepared as possible to face any challenges. By partnering with a supportive fostering agency like Family Fostering Partners, you can navigate your journey of fostering in England with confidence. Find out how to become a foster parent and start your fostering journey today.