Frequently asked questions

What is fostering?

Is fostering the same as adoption?

Why are children fostered?

What do foster carers do?

Being a foster carer involves more than just looking after a child. As well as the day-to-day care of the child, you will be asked to attend meetings about those in your care, keep written records, promote contact with birth families and manage information that is confidential and sensitive.

You may have to help children come to terms with difficult or traumatic experiences; you will need to ensure that you do all you can to support them in their education, look after their health and promote their social wellbeing.

No longer being able to live in the home, and with the people, you are used to is a traumatic experience, whatever your age. Fostered children and young people can display difficult or challenging behaviour as a way of coping with this upheaval. Foster carers need to be able to recognise the possible causes of such behaviour and, with the support of their fostering service, develop strategies to help the young person manage (often very difficult) feelings and experiences.

Contact with their own families is very important to children and young people in foster care and, as a foster carer, you will need to help maintain this if it is felt to be appropriate. This is important, regardless of any personal feelings you may have about the child's parents. Contact can be direct (face-to-face) or indirect (telephone, email or letters) and you will receive training to help you manage this. Contact arrangements may change over time.

What is a fostering service?

Are there different types of fostering?

Who can become a foster carer?

Is it a full-time job?

Do I get paid?

Will I receive training?

What support is available?

What about my own children?

So, what do I do now?