When a child is taken into the care system, their needs change. While all the basics still need taking care of, like providing a safe space and ensuring basic needs like access to food and hygiene outlets are met, there is also an underlying advanced needs catalogue to take care of as well. Meeting all of these things directly is one of the most pressing role demands for any foster carer. Here are some ways you can ensure both the small stuff and the big stuff is well taken care of.

Engage with Your Agency

Every foster carer has regular meetings and general check-ins with their core social worker team. However, there is also value in regular communication with the wider agency as well. An agency like thefca.co.uk represents the child and brings them to your door. They will always have a selection of invaluable advice, ongoing training, development strategies and enrichment activities where you can meet other carers and foster children too, which is great for both you and your foster child. There is an irreplaceable sense of kinship to be discovered in such a route, and it should be leaned upon from the very start of your journey. 

Tackle School Head On

Every school is different, and some will inevitably be worse than others at providing for the needs of fostered children. As a carer, you must find paths through to educational engagement, because every child deserves to feel safe and capable of finding their feet in this world. Your job will be to get them through the door, a task that is not always the easiest if you happen to have a placement with a school refuser. However, there are ways forward and it all begins with a conversation and having the confidence to advocate for what needs to happen. 

Listen

The simplest thing of all is just to listen. When you address a situation through the lens of wanting to fix it, there are no guaranteed that this can ever come to pass. However, when you step in and decide to just listen, all sorts of doors open up. When a child has someone who listens to their concerns authentically and only offers advice when action is asked for, they will be able to build trust in that dynamic. Of course, there will often be times when you have to take action for safeguarding purposes, but it is not always the case. The point is to establish a rapport that is able to continue for the duration of a placement and create scope for your time together to be genuinely beneficial. 

Stay Vigilant

There is a clear distinction between vigilance and hypervigilance, and it is vital that you don’t let one seep into the other. Staying vigilant means ensuring you are switched on and paying attention whenever your foster child is talking to you or behaving in a concerning way. When you do this, you can find the best route forward for both of you. 

Taking care of needs is a big part of your responsibilities as a foster carer. It will guide your role and dictate the successes too.