Room: Fostering in Wakefield

Every foster carer is unique and brings with them their own life experiences and individuality. It takes lots of different personalities to create a winning team and a person or family that children and young people can relate to. There are, however, some very important qualities that you will need:

• A sense of humour, patience and determination
• Energy and motivation to address the challenges
• Good listening skills and an understanding, non-judgemental nature
• The ability to work as part of a team

Fostering is a big commitment and it’s important for you to consider how it will change your life. Here is a quick list of issues you will need to think about:

• Fostering will involve the whole family, so it’s a good idea to talk to your loved ones and get their thoughts and feelings.
• Will other adults and children in the household be happy to share their space and family with a child or young person?
• Lifestyle will impact on becoming a foster carer, as you will need to ensure you set aside a considerable amount of time to care for somebody else and be available for any meeting and appointments, for example health or education.