What are the essential requirements of a successful foster carer?

Monday 24 July 2017

Being a successful foster carer takes a lot of skill and effort. They will not only have to build strong relationships with their foster children, they will need to build relationships with their fostering agency as well as other professionals involved around the children.
Below are some necessary requirements of a successful foster carer:

Relationship with the agency and other professionals

• A successful foster carer will be willing to work closely with the agency to fully understand the needs of the child and what is expected of them to ensure that the goals for the child are met.
• A foster carer must be willing to participate with necessary training proposed by the agency. Fostering agencies are continually seeking ways to improve their methods, services and procedures to ensure that both the child and the foster carer receive the best support. A foster carer must have a strong understanding of childcare and the problems children may face; therefore it is important that a foster carer is up-to-date with these developments.
• A foster carer must be flexible in their approach to childcare and apply all training in their care accordingly.
• A foster carer must be able to admit that they need help and seek support from their agency or from their local authority when they need it.
• A foster carer must be able to act on behalf of their foster children during school/college meetings etc.