Alongside the statutory requirements for fostering, it's important to understand the qualities that foster carers need in their work with children and young people.
Lots of people have these qualities. To help potential foster carers recognise if they do, we asked our social workers and foster carers what makes a great foster carer.
Qualities
Caring
First and foremost, fostering is a caring role. You are opening your home and heart to a child and working to make a difference to their life.
"What makes a good foster carer, is most importantly that they really, genuinely care. It seems like that goes without saying, but when things get tough, it is that level of care that can make the difference. I have seen over years of working in fostering, that when a foster carer provides the care and support needed to help a child reach their potential, the difference they can make to a child's life is phenomenal." Katie, Fostering Team Manager.
Honesty and fairness
You may have to deal with challenging behaviours and difficult topics. Establishing boundaries and having clear discussions will help everyone to understand what is required of them.
"You need to be able to set boundaries, which they may not have had before. Be open and honest and try to stay relaxed." Jane and Martin, foster carers.
Acceptance
Respect that everyone has different lived experiences. Children who come to stay with you will be from a range of backgrounds and circumstances. Accepting these differences allows you to start building a strong relationship.
"Accepting the experiences that have shaped who the children are is key. Being able to then offer consistency and predictability to help those children achieve their full potential in all areas of their life is something that good foster carers do really well." Sharron, Fostering Panel Advisor.
Resilience
Regulating your emotions in stressful situations is vital. You'll have to be able to respond to challenging situations and keep working to support your young people.
"Foster carers need to be patient, calm, empathetic and realistic. You will be tested, and your boundaries will be pushed, by children who may have never had safety or stability, or may not have felt loved and cared for at times. They will have experienced loss and trauma. You will need to show you have stickability and resilience, that you won't give up easily, and you will advocate for them and provide the care and support needed to help them reach their potential. " Katie.
Curiosity
Every young person is unique. Being curious about their experiences allows you to move past assumptions and build a solid relationship.
"You need to be curious. I think having that curiosity to explore with them what they're telling you leads to a more emotional bond between you and that young person." Jayne, foster carer.
Foster carer must haves
We asked our young people what qualities they want their foster carers to have.
Contact us
If you think you have these qualities, we'd love to hear from you. You could be able to make a difference to children and young people in Herefordshire.