Disclaimer! No ‘list’ would ever cover everything related to fostering, even though we have a reallllyyy comprehensive FAQ https://chrysaliscarefostering.org/faqs/ but for some of the core aspects, this blog series is a great way to explore fostering in more depth. For those who are a fostering family (because in spite of what people may think, you CAN foster if you do not have children and you can foster as a single person…), this blog may be of particular interest, as it relates to the role of Birth Children.
Chrysalis Care have been fostering children and young people and supporting their foster carers, since 1997 and was set up by a couple who had previously fostered for 15 years. It’s a family-run business, meaning that the Directors were once the children of foster carers, so have a great insight into this particular aspect.
When a family fosters, it is not just the adults who are involved – EVERY body in the household essentially fosters. It could be that the parents of the household approach fostering as any other ‘job’ and do not involve their children in the process, which is quite possibly one of the main things that sets fostering apart from other vocational choices. This is why at assessment stage, we want to hear from birth children and ensure that they are agreeable to the decision to foster. As a foster carer, you do not ‘clock off’ and it’s crucial that anybody considering fostering, acknowledges that it is a 24/7 role…for everyone… because whether short-term or long-term, the child who is fostered becomes part of the family.
Indeed, the Directors of Chrysalis Care have often talked about their experiences as birth children, how they learned to share their parents and how they developed strong skills in empathy and tolerance. The fact that both Directors went into caring professions speaks volumes, with one being a Teacher and Art Therapist and the other a Qualified Social Worker. A young man who mentors within our Children’s Services Team is the birth child of one of our foster carers and he reflects upon how he is enriched and has developed a maturity, due to be a birth child.
So, there are many benefits for birth children who are part of a fostering family and the key message is that fostering isn’t something that can be compartmentalised – its an all or nothing endeavour!
If this blog has whet your appetite, take a look around the rest of our website and our social media accounts https://www.facebook.com/ChrysalisCareFostering https://www.instagram.com/chrysaliscarefostering/ https://twitter.com/ChrysalisCare https://www.pinterest.co.uk/chrysaliscare/ to learn more about fostering with Chrysalis Care and read our next blog, C is for Children. If you have any further questions, just give us a call on 02082982800 or email us at info@chrysaliscare.org.