Chrysalis care Fostering London - Preparing to become a foster carer

Preparing to become a foster carer: Why your ‘why’ matters

We recently wrote about some of the ways to prepare to be a foster carer #mythbustermission: 10 things to do before becoming a foster carer, with one of those  focusing upon the importance of why you want to foster children and young people, referred to here as your ‘why’.

As with most life ventures, your why can be inspirational at the beginning, motivational when you hit hurdles and can offer you great satisfaction to reflect upon.

Just as children and young people are fostered for a range of reasons, equally there are varied reasons why people decide to become a foster parent.  It may be that the statistics showing the vast number of children and young people who need fostering families, may be a big enough why to prompt the beginning of the fostering journey.

Many foster carers will talk about wanting to give back, to be of service. Some will have had a wonderful upbringing themselves and want to share that with children and young people who really need it.  For others, the opposite may be true and it may be that their own thwarted upbringing is what has led to them wanting to help children and young people who may be in similar situations.

For people who choose to become a foster carer and who already have a child or children of their own, they may want to present an enrichment opportunity for their own children, which is definitely an experience that the Directors of Chrysalis Care confirm.  Growing up in a fostering family can be a transformational and rewarding experience for foster carers’ own children.

Sometimes, a life change can lead a person to becoming a foster carer, such as retirement, redundancy, or responding to the effects of empty nest syndrome. Fostering will certainly breathe new life into a home where children have grown up and moved on!

Whatever the why, there are a few essentials that transcend them all, such as having a spare room, having an open and caring attitude, having a genuine desire to help children to experience a positive family experience and to achieve positive growth. Keep a regular check on the Chrysalis Care blog site, to read more about the qualities that contribute to being a foster carer.

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