Benefits of being a foster parent

Fostering is one of the most fulfilling jobs you can have because, as a foster parent, you have the opportunity to shape and improve a young person’s life. Fostering is a very personal profession and what you get out of it is completely dependent on you as an individual. However, we have compiled a list of the top foster care advantages for both the child and carer.

Advantages of Foster Care for the child

Fostering is all about the child in care. The goal of each placement is to improve the life of the child and help them develop whilst feeling safe and nurtured in a secure environment.

Family connections

Many children who have been placed in foster care may have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect in their earlier childhoods. Without a strong support system, experiences like this can negatively impact a child’s development, both socially and emotionally. As a foster parent, you will be able to provide a child with a family dynamic that they may have never had access to before. Becoming a member of a foster family allows a child to start to rebuild their trust in adults and create bonds with adults in a way they were previously unable to.

Academic stability

When a child is dealing with difficult experiences in their home life, it can be challenging for them to focus on their schoolwork. Research done by Book Trust demonstrated that nearly half of foster children were considered to be below average in their reading levels. In an environment with supportive parents, education becomes part of your home life - by opening your home to a foster child and creating a sense of stability, you can help a child to focus on their education and have a real impact on their future.

Secure Environment

As mentioned previously, those that enter the foster care system may have had difficult and challenging upbringings. That’s why for children and young people, it is especially important for them to be in a secure environment where they can express themselves and become the person they were meant to be. A foster family can provide a child with a life that they never had before, helping with psychological or behavioural issues. Read our children’s experiences now for some real-life examples of how you can change lives.

Advantages of Foster Care for the carer

Fostering is hugely beneficial for the children involved, but it also has a big impact on the parents, too. From financial gains to fulfilling careers, we have outlined the advantages below:

Fostering Allowance

Amongst being a fulfilling job, fostering also comes with a well-paid salary. A foster parent with Foster Care UK, you could earn the following:

• Therapeutic foster placements – approx. £500 – £575 per week
• Parent and child placements – approx. £650 per week
• Standard placements – approx. £400 per week
• Respite placements – approx. £400 per week

Although fostering is not about the money, it helps to know that you will be comfortable if you to take this career path. Learn more about how much foster parents get paid.

A fulfilling career

To add to the financial rewards that come with being a foster parent, the career in general is often found to be very fulfilling. Fostering gives you an opportunity to see the impact that your work is having. Many of our carers reflect on how their child was when they first arrived versus how they are now and can see marked improvements to the child’s mood and happiness – which then, in turn, leads to a truly fulfilling and rewarding career. Read more about working and fostering from our detailed guide.

Long term placement

Although it’s likely that initially your fostering placements may be more orientated to short term fostering, there are many that turn into long term placements. These placements allow you to truly bond with a new child in your home and embed a child or young person in need into your family dynamic. If impact is the most important part of fostering to you, having a long-term placement will really offer you the opportunity to change a young person’s life. Learn more about our long-term fostering placements.

Impacting a child’s life

Finally, and definitely the most important advantage, is the opportunity to alter a child’s life. It can be hugely rewarding to be involved in the teaching, development and future of a foster child’s life, especially when you can see them develop and grow. In short, your role will shape their life.

Ready to really change a child’s life? Contact us today or find out more about how to become a foster parent.