It's the second week of Foster Care Fortnight and we are pleased to bring you some insights from an asphaleia foster carer about her experience of fostering. She is a single carer who has experience of parent and child placements as well as short and long-term placements with individual children. The P&C placements involve her caring for a family, not just a child, and supporting the parent/s to care for their baby or child/ren for a period. On with the interview...
What is fostering like?
Fostering can be like raising your own children but at times with unexplained challenges, similar to those challenges you might face with your own natural children. You find ways to overcome those challenges but with a lot of support from your supervising social worker, social worker & other professionals.
It’s like having longer or many arms that look after not just the children/young people but also the families that you look after/support.
What have you got out of fostering?
Being able to support a variety of children from ages 0-18 years old and their parents, which I guess has given me an extended family. I’m able to see them grow and develop, as a person or a family and knowing that I was part of the fostering journey is rewarding. Hopefully I have shown and taught them a good enough platform to continue as a whole and not be separated.
What are the benefits for children?
Children come into the system for many different reasons at different ages and some with disabilities. As a foster carer who cares for a child 24 hours 7 days a week, we have to make sure their voice is heard and their best interests always comes first. Regardless of your own opinion, they need warmth, stability, continuity, reassurance, guidance, fun and most of all knowing that they matter and are valued.
What questions do you have about being a foster carer? Email us or message us on social media and we will put your question to our fostering manager and share the final Q&A on our blog and social media platforms.