Becoming a foster carer is highly rewarding, but demanding, nevertheless. For those who have decided to take on this role, it is always helpful to have as much information as possible to enable you to be the best you can possibly be. There is an empowering feeling that comes from knowing facts and having skills that brings confidence and self-assurance to all the decisions you will have to make. With that in mind, here are some useful bits of knowledge that every foster carer can use to enhance their journey.
What Becoming a Foster Carer Entails
There is a lot of information about what it actually means to become a foster carer, but it’s also helpful to learn the process of becoming one too. If you’ve got this far, there is a good chance that a lot of thought has already gone into the process, and that’s great. However, there’s always something new to absorb, and reading clear guidelines from a reputable and experienced source like thefca.co.uk proves just that. Here’s a summary of what you need to start the foster carer journey.
The Requirements
To become a carer in this country, you need to be at least 21 years of age, with no serious criminal convictions that would call into question your ability to work closely with children. Further to this, it is important to be honest and disclose any problems you’ve had with alcohol or drug abuse in the past, and if it was the case, how you have overcome these afflictions. You also need a spare bedroom that the child will occupy, and enough time to commit to the role.
Meeting Attachment Needs Head On
The next point is all about the importance of nurturing attachment. Attachment theory relates to the bond a child has with their primary caregiver. When this bond is disrupted, there are a lot of behaviors and mental health conditions that can manifest in the aftermath. As a foster carer, you will have ongoing training about attachment and learn to understand just how important it is to nurture and focus on. A child with healthy attachments is better able to form functional relationships with their peers and future partners, ones that don’t cause harm and ones where the child has boundaries and isn’t vulnerable to abuse. There is a strong possibility that you will incorporate attachment style parenting into your everyday life with them, and this is something to aim for.
Learning Effective Communication
Of course, this can only come to pass if you have also embraced effective, compassionate communication styles. While it is always important to maintain boundaries, this can only be achieved if you know how to talk to your foster child and how to set expectations in a positive framework. There is no value at all in constant critiques, and it will only cause harm to their development. Instead, strive for a constructive outlook where the core focus is on building nurture, well-being, and strength. Accept that there will be hard days, just like with any birth child in the house, where the child just wants to shout and scream. That is okay, as all grown-ups have days like that too. Your job will be to help them through it with acceptance and confident verbal reasoning.
Knowing How to Spot Mental Health Warning Signs
All foster carers must understand the dangerous side of poor mental health. Your role will focus on improving the child’s mental and physical well-being and providing a safe anchor point for them to develop healthily. If you learn to recognize subtle shifts in the air, you will be better able to tune into a mental health episode before it causes too many problems for the child. Understand how to spot classic depression and subtle anxieties, and you will be in a far better position to provide support.
How to Say Goodbye
There will always come a day when you have to say goodbye. Whether you have been with the child for 10 years or 10 days, it’s never an easy thing to do. However, it is a big part of the job and something you need to have a strategy for. Saying goodbye is not easy, so mental preparation is imperative.
The Value of Emotional Regulation
Finally, never underestimate the value of emotional regulation. When a key adult figure in the life of any child displays positive methods of channeling and controlling negative emotions, they are setting the bar for the child too. A young person has no hope of regulating if their primary caregiver blows up all the time, and this is something you have to consider heavily.
Foster carers need a lot of skills and a ton of patience too. There is a lot to learn, but the journey is amazing.