Fostering is caring for someone else’s child in your own home. Foster carers look after babies, children and young people who are often distressed about being separated from their family, so they need to care about children’s feelings and meet their needs.
The child may need looking after for any reason from illness in the family to serious abuse. Sometimes children may need only short-term placement and would return home quickly while others may need to be looked after until they are 18 years old. Some will stay with foster carers for more than a year while plans are made for their future away from home or possibly be considered for adoption.
Foster carers are important people in helping to make care plans for foster children, whilst working closely with social workers and other professionals to give the child the very best opportunities in life.
Foster carers keep children healthy and safe. They make sure they get to school in Islington on time and help them to make good progress and do well with their homework. It is important to help a child develop their life skills, encouraging hobbies and interests as well as meeting any special needs they may have.
It is essential for children to maintain relationships with their friends and foster carers will also help the child to keep contact with their parents.
We always try to keep brothers and sisters together so placements that can offer more than one child a home can really make a difference. Foster carers find that helping a child or young person thrive and develop is very rewarding.
Page Last Updated: 31 December 2007