Find out if you could be a foster carer
In a few simple questions, you’ll know if you’re suitable to apply to become a foster carer.
When it comes to single person fostering, people often worry about the potential barriers towards their eligibility to foster due to their non-existing conventional family setup that many of us associate with fostering. However, this should not detract your interest in fostering. We often get asked if it is possible to foster as a single person, and quite simply the answer is YES. Your relationship status, gender, or sexual orientation, isn’t something that will stop you from fostering. Just like the diversity that we see in children and young adults, the same can be applied to foster carers – everybody and their circumstances are different. While many couples foster, so do many single people. Just like conventional family fostering, what’s paramount is that you have the right characteristics and you commit to love the child who comes into your life.
If you’re over 21 years of age, able to pass an enhanced DBS check, and you have a spare room for the looked after child or young person, then there is no reason you shouldn’t be considered to become a foster carer. Like anyone interested in fostering, you should be wholeheartedly committed to the entire fostering process. There are countless benefits of deciding to become a foster carer such as; the sense of satisfaction and rewarding feeling, and the opportunity to become a role model for a child that they have always wanted.
While there are plenty of benefits to fostering as a single person, you have to be sure that you will be able to fully cope with the demanding nature of the position. For any foster carer, fostering can be an extremely difficult job, therefore, you have to ensure you have the time and resources to properly excel in being the best foster carer you can be. You need to consider your; health, financial situation, home, friends, family, and any prior experiences in dealing with children and young adults to really understand if this can be a viable option for yourself. When you foster as a single carer you must be able to prove that you have a strong support network ; it’s important to undertake the responsibility of fostering with people around you to provide you with the right support you’ll need.
It is important to note that a concern of many single foster carers is the practicalities surrounding employment. We fully understand that if you decide to become a full-time foster carer it requires the same amount of attention and energy as that of a full-time job. With this in mind, foster carers qualify for foster care allowances, and depending on the situation, may be able to claim working tax credits. This benefit allows foster carers to fully concentrate on nurturing the child or young adults without the anxieties of employment and monetary situations.
To conclude, single carers make terrific candidates to give a child a loving and supporting home for them to grow and flourish in. If you are interested in finding out more about fostering as single carer, contact us on 01993 706925 or click here for more information about foster care.