We've been chatting to our foster carers to get their view on the key things to consider if you're interested in fostering.
Do you love children?
As a foster carer, you’ll need to love spending time with children and also understand and be interested in child behaviour. You might have a child with emotional or behavioural challenges and so you’ll need to be prepared to support them during difficult times.
Is the time right?
The duration of fostering placements vary for every child. They can range from short term or emergency placements lasting a few days, to longer term placements lasting years. Children may need foster care from the moment they are born, and some children stay in care up to the age of 18 and beyond. Some children may return to their birth families, others may be fostered until they are ready to live independently and others may move onto adoption.
We speak to two of our foster families to get their view on how fostering has impacted their lives.
Cat and her husband Paul have fostered with Brighton and Hove City Council for over 8 years and have two sons now aged 18 and 20.
Cat has had 6 foster children over the 8 years and currently has a 17 year old girl living with her family.
Why did you decide to foster in the first place?
You don't need to be a super human to foster with us. Check out the facts below and get in touch if you think you're able to provide a safe, stable and loving home for a vulnerable local child.
1. There is no such thing as a 'typical' foster carer - You can be single, in a relationship, married, gay or straight, a home owner or renting
All you need is a spare room, time to give and a big heart.
2. You can offer a home for long term, short term, emergency or respite care
To celebrate LGBT fostering and adoption week, we chat to Chris and Kieran about their experiences as foster parents for over 20 years. Chris and Kieran foster with Brighton and Hove City Council and have fostered 11 young people long term as well as supported children in numerous short term, emergency and respite placements. They went onto adopt one of their foster children who has since got married and had a baby. They have seen difficult children transform before their eyes and have had bucketful’s of tears and laughter over the years.