What's involved?

What can I expect as a foster carer?

The only sure answer is to expect the unexpected and you won't go far wrong! The preparation process will help you to understand the experiences that foster children may have been through. There will be opportunities to learn about the issues involved to help make the right decision about becoming a foster carer.

Fostering is a career based in your own home.  It also involves you working closely with other professionals in social services, education and the health care services. You will have contact with the parents and families of the children, with a view to helping children return to their own home, wherever possible and appropriate. Like all child-centred work it can be demanding as well as rewarding - especially as some of the young people our carers help may have problems that are challenging. Meeting different foster child’s needs call for different qualities from carers.

See what Roy has to say

It is very common for children to be withdrawn, insecure, or distressed when they arrive, and depending on the circumstances this behaviour may be prolonged. Some children have been rejected or hurt by their parents and may be feeling angry, confused or anxious, so foster carers need to be prepared to allow such children to express themselves in a safe and a secure environment, and set clear boundaries with their circumstances in mind. Children who have been abused or harmed can display very disturbed behaviour and this can be daunting for anyone thinking of fostering. However, these are ordinary children who have suffered extraordinary circumstances and still need nurturing and their basic needs to be met.

Extensive on-going support and training is available to help provide the skills you need to cope. Understanding the reasons why a child's behaves in a certain way helps carers cope with the demands of a child who have been temporarily separated from their families.

Read this BBC Kent feature on being a foster carer.