Fostering a child can mark a huge change in your life, and this can be difficult to predict. Fostering a child will not always be plain sailing, but it can be incredibly rewarding. If you are struggling to know what to expect once you foster a child, read on for more information about how your life might look after fostering a child compared to before.
You might have a long wait
Although there are many children in the foster system that need your love and care, you will not be able to bring home a child to live with you the moment that you apply to become a foster carer. It can be some time before a suitable child can be matched with you, and it may also take time for your application to be processed. This might mean that you have to be patient when it comes to fostering a child, and this also depends on the type of fostering you opt for.
They might take some time to settle in
No matter how wonderful a home you provide for them, your foster child may find it difficult to settle into their new environment and to cope with the upheaval that they have had to experience before they came to live with you. They might have some behavioural issues or be disruptive. This can make you feel as if you are not doing well as a foster parent. However, if you persevere, you are likely to be able to make a lasting connection with your foster child that can enable them to have a bright future when they move on from your care.
You will get a lot of support
Many people fear that they will be left completely alone to struggle with the difficulties of fostering. However, this is not the case and there are a lot of support groups out there to help you, as well as support from your foster agency. You should contact Foster Care Associates to get started on the road to becoming a foster carer with the support that you need.
There will be a lot of paperwork
Although you might think that fostering a child is all hands-on, you will soon find that there are copious amounts of paperwork that you have to fill in, from your foster carer application to your registration to become self-employed. By keeping on top of this paperwork and organising your life around it, you will be able to ensure that you can spend more time with the foster child in question and will make sure that you do not fall behind with filling out urgent documentation.
You will experience upheaval to your routines
Some people expect that their life will go on the same as it has always done when they foster, only they will have a child in tow. This is not the case, though, and you are likely to experience a huge upheaval in your routines, especially for the first few weeks or months of the placement. You may have to make compromises and give up your own time and the activities that you enjoy, and you might have to adjust your everyday life around the needs of the child in question.