Who and Why people choose to foster
Could you foster Marcia?
We are looking for foster carers for Marcia. Could you be her new foster carers? Why not find out more?
The reasons why people decide to apply to become foster carers are many. Although each families aspirations and the many other factors which bring them to the point of making this decision are never the same, there are often some common features that they share.
Some foster carer applicants have come to consider fostering as a very natural thing to do. Many feel that they would like to share the good things in their lives with a child who is, at least for the time being, unable to live at home.
Applicants are often people who consider themselves as "very ordinary" and do not consider themselves to be "super parents". For applicants who are already parents they are likely to feel that they did a good job with their own children and can see no reason why they could not make a similar contribution to a child placed with them as foster carers.
People who foster often consider themselves to be "child-centred". Many just like children and feel that their family has something to offer. They all value children and want to contribute towards their development, and to protect them.
Many appreciate that young people only have one childhood and that on occasions some children may need the contribution they and other families are able to make. Some see their role as being one that not only cares for a child temporarily, but helps bring families back together.
Whilst there are strict criteria for all applicants, which are expected to be met. There are not very many requirements that are "set in stone". Prospective foster carers do not need to be in a certain salary bracket, own their own home or have a certain standard of education. All fostering agencies are looking for people from every type of background and life experiences to provide the diversity they need to meet the needs of children in foster care.
There is simply no "ideal type" of foster carer. Each foster carer brings their own unique mixture of history, experiences, abilities and knowledge and uses them to help children and their families.
