I have some friends who are foster parents, and a few other friends interested in becoming foster parents. While this is not something I could do myself, at least not at this stage in my life, it is something you might be interested in. Here are some reasons from a reader on why and how foster care can be rewarding for you.
Foster care is a rewarding experience for many individuals.
It can be tough and emotional at times, but it also provides you with the opportunity to help children who have had difficult lives. If this sounds like something that would interest you, then keep reading to learn more about what foster care entails and if it's right for you.
Why is fostering rewarding?
Fostering is rewarding to the foster parents and family as a whole. It's satisfying knowing you're providing stability for someone in need, but it also comes with its own challenges.
As a foster carer, you get training and support to help make sure that the child's transition is as smooth as possible. However, if fostering services were more transparent about their training, then maybe more people would consider it.
Who can foster care for children?
According to Blue Sky, to become a foster parent, you must be 21 years or older and have UK residency. You should also know that the length of time caring for children depends on type of care given. You need the ability to care for kids on full-time basis that can range from one night up until adulthood.
What are the benefits of becoming a foster carer?
Fostering is something that takes a lot, and it’s important to be ready for what can come. There are many reasons why people want to become foster parents – you may think of fostering as an opportunity to give back or simply feel the need to help children who have been through so much already in their young lives.
Here are just some of the many reasons someone might choose to be a foster parent:
- To be able to give support, reassurance, encouragement, care, love, and attention to children that need it. This is a good way to bring more love into your life by helping people that really need it.
- You can provide a stable and secure environment for vulnerable people who do not have that already.
- By fostering, you can provide children with a stable educational situation so they have academic stability and have the ability to thrive, which can make a big difference to their future.
- You get to make a difference in people's lives, giving them a warm family instead of them being in a residential facility or group home.
- Most kids are in foster care because something traumatic happened to them. If someone went through trauma in their life, it can be healing to help those who went through a trauma as well.
- Save one life and you save a world. By fostering children who need the love and care, you are not only benefiting them but any children and grandchildren of theirs.
- Fostering helps teach people empathy and understand the challenges in different communities.
- It is a way to build a family to love and care for.
- Foster care is an alternative to adoption, for people that would love to have children, or more of them, when having biological children isn't an option. And foster care is the quickest route to adoption.
- For those that are thinking of starting a family but aren't sure they are ready for it, a short-term foster situation might help with that.
- Fostering comes with classes and training to help you be the best caregiver possible.
- It is an opportunity to give back to the community.
Financial Benefits
No one should become a foster parent for money reasons. Kids need adults who want them, who'll love them, who will take care of them, and not those who will see them as a cash cow. However, there still are financial benefits to being a foster parent, which is helpful since fostering generally does cost the carer money,
As a foster carer, you may be able to claim benefits and tax credits. The allowances that the state provides are not considered income or only taxable profit from fostering is taken into consideration for calculating your entitlement to benefits.
- Tax benefits
- Jobseekers allowance
- Income support
- Child tax credit and working tax credit
- Child and housing benefits
Taking care of a child in foster can be rewarding and not because it brings you something. It changes someone's life for the better and can give them a life they would never have dreamt of. It is difficult for children bought up in circumstances they cannot control so being able to have an influence on this can have a massive positive impact.
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