Taking the Fears Out of Fostering

As Halloween approaches, we are taking a look at some of the fears potential foster carers tell us they have about fostering and letting you know how our amazing team can support you with these concerns.

“I wish I’d made the call earlier.”

-Linda, existing foster carer

‘I’m worried my home isn’t suitable?’
One of the biggest worries our potential foster carers have is the suitability of their home. You don’t have to live in a castle with twenty bedrooms to be a foster carer! Foster carers are regular people with regular homes, your home just needs to be safe and have adequate space to be able to care for a child. During the early stages of assessment, one of our fostering team will need to assess your home against Health and Safety standards and will talk to you about daily life in your home. 

‘I am concerned I won’t have enough time to foster? What if I have to give up work?’
There are different types of fostering and each child requires different levels of hands-on care from their foster carers. Many of our foster carers continue to work alongside foster caring while some choose not to or take on placements where full time work may not be suitable. During your information visit, our fostering team will be able to help you think about what ages of children or types of fostering might work with your lifestyle. 

‘I am scared I will have to do this all on my own without any support?’
At Fostering Rotherham, we are incredibly proud of our training and support and have built some amazing support networks among our foster carer community. Our Fostering Team can tell you all about these support networks, what they look like and how they work.

‘I am terrified that I don’t have enough experience working with or looking after children?’
There is no one set type of person that makes a perfect foster carer and all experience is relevant and important. At Fostering Rotherham we know that great foster carers come in all shapes and sizes and have lots of different types of qualifications and life experiences. However, the most important thing is that they have the qualities that help ensure a foster child or young person enjoys a happy and fulfilling life.

‘How do I know what type of fostering is right for me?’
We don’t expect you to be an expert on foster care straight away so during your information visit we can talk you through all the different types of fostering and help you have a think about what age of child you might like to foster and share our wealth of experience with you to help you decide what is right for your family. You won’t have to make any decisions straight away and we know that your circumstances might change, even during the assessment process. Life happens- we’re used to it!

‘How can I afford to become a foster carer?’
Fostering with Rotherham comes with a whole host of benefits, just one of them being the financial support you will receive as a foster carer. You can find out a bit more about these here.

Remember, foster carers come from all walks of life and no one is the same. Every fostering journey is different and our fostering team will be on hand to support you every step of the way.. If you’d like some more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our fostering team or look at some of our other frequently asked questions.